Opening The Future Doors
by Rei-chan
Summary: Year 2025 A.D. Rei and Shinji finally are married and Rei found out that\'s expecting two babies...but...are they really ready to become parents?And what happened to other Evangelion characters?CHAPTER 4.3 IS FINALLY ON!!^O^THE LAST BUT ONE CHAPTER!!
1. Opening The Future Doors- 1st Chapter

I start writing this fanfiction, the same evening I've bought Evangelion

I start writing this fan fiction, the same evening I bought Evangelion vol. 9

In this fic I used characters from CC Sakura. In the next chapters, I also borrow characters from other mangas such as Sailor Moon, Nadia, and Wataru Yoshizumi's "Kimishika Iranai" (children, mainly). I'd like to make it clear that CC Sakura's characters who are present in this fic are slightly different from the original ones. 

  
Tomoyo is not Sonomi's daughter, but Ritsuko Akagi. Yukito Tsukishiro's son Yuki, on this occasion, has become a surgeon! ^^ Tomoyo isn't ten; she's six (seven in the next chapters). The same thing for Akane; (the child with pony-tails who appears in The Card Float's ep, if you want a picture of her ask me.) she isn't the very beautiful daughter of that mummy who always leaves her all alone at home (poor little child *sniff*). She's Misato Katsuragi and Kaji Ryouji's daughter, and she's almost three years, the little toddler! For the rest (at least in regard of this ep.) I didn't invent any other character; Nozomi existed already (even if she appears in no Eva ep. Hikari sometimes mentions her).

I close these notes, telling of the time that this fic takes place (as you can argue from the timeline) in the future ^^ : ten years after; and myself being a total fan of the Rei-Shinji couple, I based this fan fiction mainly on those two ^^;;And in this fan fiction Rei is NOT sterile, differing from the rumor about it. Now I'm going to stop talking, ok? Good Reading! And if you wish you have a fanart showing both Misato and Akane together, contact me and I can send a copy of the attachment to you ASAP! Rina-chan

"Opening The Future Doors"

  
  
Neo Tokyo-3. 15th May 2025AD

Tranquillity had finally reigned over Neo-Tokyo 3. Ten years had past, from the last terrestrial fight against the Angels. It was spring time at last. Shinji Ikari was no longer the shy, introverted, melancholic fourteen year old he was before. Three months ago today, on the 15th February 2025, he had finally realized his biggest dream...and now he was living it, interpreting it as one of the most beautiful moments in his life...

"Mmm...it's already morning..."Shinji whispered, sitting on his bed and looking out the window next to him.

Outside the window, he could admire the blossomed garden while the cherry trees opened their graceful pink flowers, which a slight morning wind dandled sweetly. The boy smiled. Even though three months had passed since he had moved to this little home in suburbia, the peaceful and quiet sight which had been created all around him, still amazed him and filled his heart with joy and sweetness.

*Cherry trees blossoming...what a wonderful sight...*

Shinji leaned his hand over the window's glass and opened it by pushing softly, letting clean and scented spring air in. The boy stretched, and then turned and looked sideways on the bed, by now no more a single bed, but a double as he had found his life partner. Even though the place next to him was empty, one could see by the pillow and blanket's creases somebody had slept there. Shinji smiled, looking at the empty place next to him. This was also a part of the happiness reigning over the young man's heart because it pointed out the fact that he was no longer alone, that someone, during the night, had been by his side.

*She won't ever change...she's always the same early bird...* he thought while smiling. Then, looking forward over the bedside table, cast a glance at the alarm clock: 7:30 AM.

"I'd better get up. They'll be waiting for me at the Base. I guess she's waiting for me too..."Shinji said, standing up from the bed and exiting the room.

Shinji drew near the half-closed door of the kitchen where the sounds of colliding cups and coffee spoons could be heard from all over the room...

Shinji smiled and peeped through the slightly opened door: it was Rei. Still dressed in her nighty, she was preparing breakfast. Shinji kept on looking at her, standing still in front of the half-closed door. He looked at every gentle and fine movement of her seductive frame while she was arranging the table piece by piece, waiting for Shinji's wake-up. He was fascinated by this girl who had become his wife three months before. Looking at her like this, when she was standing alone in front of the sink, in a true aura of loveliness, holding the coffee pot in her hand and dressed with a golden sunrise from the window behind her...it was all a marvelous show for Shinji. It was as if an angelic creature was in front of him. She stood before him as if she had just come from Paradise for him alone in order to make him feel all the happiness he had never felt before.

Shinji remained to gaze at her while she was rinsing the coffee pot; he looked at her thin tender shoulders bent over the sink. Sometimes he had the impression he could see a pair of wings through the glimmer of the sun which enlightened her frame. 

Shinji lowered his head, closed his eyes, and then smiled and slowly opened the door and entered the room.

Rei turned to Shinji slowly, watching him approach her, then smiled sweetly. Still smiling, she looked away from Ikari and went back to looking at the sink where she was rinsing kitchen utensils. Shinji drew near her and embraced her from behind, crossing Rei's shoulders with his arms. Then he leaned his head over the girl's shoulder.

"Good morning, my love..."Rei whispered, turning and kissing Shinji over her shoulder. 

"Good morning to you, Rei-chan," Shinji answered, returning her kiss.

Rei wiped her hands with a towel and, together with Shinji, drew near the table where an abundant breakfast was already waiting for them. It had been prepared by Rei's own hands. They sat at the table.

"Just think, three months have passed since that day and it still doesn't seem real to me yet," Shinji said, smiling while pouring milk into a cup, looking at the bi-monthly calendar that still showed the old paper which was signed in red for their wedding day: 15th February 2025 

"Yes. Three months ago we realized our love and exchanged our mutual eternal promise..."answered Rei, putting her cup on the table.

The wedding ring shone, encircling the annular finger of her left hand. Shinji observed the wedding ring on Rei's finger, and looked at his too, lifting his open hand, towards sunlight which made the ring shine. Over the ring there were tiny engravings: "From Rei to Shinji Forever" The young man smiled, remembering again the moment when he attached the wedding ring again to Rei's finger and the moment when Rei reciprocated the ring, with the fateful sentence: "With this ring, symbol of my fidelity and love, I marry you, Shinji..."

"You're thinking about it again aren't you, Shin-chan?" asked Rei, smiling at the young man, already sensing what he was recalling while they were having their breakfast slowly.

Shinji nodded.

"There's no minute I'm not thinking of it, Rei-chan. It was the most beautiful sentence I have ever heard in the world..."

Rei smiled once again and looked in turn at the engravings over her wedding ring. Of course, the inscriptions were the opposite of the ones which Rei had engraved over the ring she gave him. "From Shinji to Rei Forever".

In spite of the inscriptions being tiny, to say the least, still in that moment they could be read very well. Better than a hoarding written in very large letters.

"We'll spend a happy life together, Rei-chan, myself and you," Shinji said, a double-edged sentence hiding another meaning. Even if he tried to camouflage the second meaning to Rei, and to avoid her thinking it over a key which would be better not to touch...(I'm not sure what to do here. It's a fragment sentence but I don't understand the complete thought. Even if he tried to hide it…what…what would happen even if he tried to hide it?) Sure, he could have avoided saying such a sentence, but he knew Rei very well by now.

Often when they discussed together their happiness, he could read in her eyes a slight thread of sorrow which she often used to hide, but Shinji succeeded in catching it the same.

Then Shinji, in order to avoid Rei touching on that question, tried to remove it from his sentence, in order to make her understand that she was enough for him. To have another person who proves their love, wasn't that indispensable for being happy forever. Rei understood what Shinji was thinking of, but differently from the way she used to behave when a certain subject was brought up with her. The girl blushed slightly and, looking away from the ring, looked at Shinji full in the face: one could notice a slight embarrassment on her face in that moment.

"S...Shin-chan…"

But all at once, Shinji regained the cognition of time and suddenly rushed to glance at the clock behind him.

"Oh GOSH!!!! It's so late!!! I'm already late! I have to get to the Base!!!" yelled Shinji with regret before drinking milk from his mug as quickly as possible.

Rei was surprised at Shinji's reaction but then went back to smiling while looking at the young man, or better, her bridegroom, stuffing himself so quickly, as he used to do when he was a little boy late for the school. But then, she came back and tried to complete the sentence which had made her blush with embarrassment before.

"Shin-chan..."she whispered, standing up from her seat slowly.

"What's with you, Treasure?" said Shinji, lazily, while trying to dress up in record-time to get to the Base. In that moment, he was really too busy, but he could not imagine Rei was to tell him such a notice. He thought it was the usual morning ritual of effusions which they returned to each other before Shinji went to work.

"Ehm...I...have something to say to you..." said Rei blushing while creasing the thin hem of her nighty with her left hand.

"Tell me, Rei-chan! To hell with this tie!! How in the world did it knot this way??!"

"Ehm...you know...I have something to say to you..." said the girl lowered her eyes shyly, unable to keep on with the sentence she was trying to say.

Shinji, in a hurry, kissed her, took her hand, and said" Yes, I know! Love you so much too, Rei-chan! But now I really have to run! Sorry if I can't stay here and listen to you. I'm really late! Today at Nerv I have to replace my father 'cause he's abroad. I wish Fuyutsuki hadn't retired. See you this evening, Love! And prepare yourself for this evening. I'll take you to a restaurant for dinner to celebrate our third month of marriage! Do you agree??"

"Shin-chan...I guess...that...I...I'm...expecting a ba-baby..." said Rei, gazing at the floor, embarrassed. She kept creasing the hem of her nighty with her hand.

Shinji, still in a big hurry, for a moment didn't mind what Rei had told him.

"Oh, yeah! Wonderful! You're expecting a baby..."Shinji finally realized what Rei had told him and opened up all at once with one hand remaining over the door handle. Suddenly, there was a pause of silence surrounding the house. Shinji's mind blurred completely at Rei's words and his heart kept on beating more and more quickly as he kept on asking himself if it had been a dream or the truth he had heard.

"Wh...what..."faltered Shinji, caught by a strong emotion, making an effort not to faint right then.

"It's true, Shinji."

Rei stopped to gaze at the floor and lifted her fearful eyes towards Shinji slowly, waiting with angst and fear of the reaction of the man, who still remained speechless and wide-eyed. The interminable silence was broken from his briefcase, which slipped out of Shinji's hand and fell to the ground.

"Are...you really...Rei-chan!?!?" asked Shinji, still shocked. A smile of unbelievable joy outlined over his lips.

The girl, seeing Shinji's smile, cheered up and nodded.

"Oh...Rei-chan...my Treasure, but--it's...it's wonderful...it's MARVELLOUS!!!" he yelled, flinging himself at Rei and hugging her as tightly as possible.

"Shinji...I...I..."Rei whispered, almost crying for joy. "I thought that...that I could never have…it was...it was always said that I was sterile...and yet...and yet now...now I'm..."

Shinji stopped embracing Rei to look her in the eye. He smiled at her and kept his hand over the young woman's thin shoulders.

"Rei, it doesn't matter what had been said. What is happening now is what is important! And now, you're expecting a baby, our baby, Rei-chan..."Shinji whispered, moving his hands over Rei's face, and kissing her intensely.

"Yes. You're right, Shin-chan," Rei said, caressing her lap with a hand.

Shinji rested his hand over Rei's.

"Who knows what a big tummy you'll have in some months..." said Shinji ironically while caressing her lap.

"At any rate, today I'll go to Doctor Akagi for an ultrasound so we can confirm the pregnancy. You know sometimes the pregnancy tests can be wrong."

Shinji nodded, smiling.

"In my opinion, it wasn't wrong, Rei-chan. Who knows if it'll be a baby boy or a baby girl..."

Rei shook her head.

"I don't know, I think it's too early to know."

"Right..." said Shinji, still smiling, his eyes full of tears.

The sound of the cuckoo-clock in the entrance, saying eight o' clock in the morning broke the brief moment of tranquility.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! IT'S SO LATE!!! I GOTTA HURRY OR I'LL MISS THE EIGHT TEN BUS!!!" yelled Shinji, nearly tearing his hair out. "Rei-chan, Treasure! I will see you later in the afternoon! Don't strain yourself, will you! And say hello to our child for me as well, when you see him or her showing in the ultrasound, okay? See you soon, my Sweet Love!!"

Rei-chan smiled, seeing her Shinji running so quickly down the stairs of their house, like a boy, running late for school. Rei watched from the window at Shinji, running like mad in order to arrive at the nearest bus-stop on time. She smiled and then looked down along her womb and, caressing it, thought to herself *Thank you, Shinji...*

Ten minutes later, Shinji was standing on the bus that would carried him to Nerv. The young man was wrapped up in a thousand thoughts.

*It's wonderful...I can't believe it...we will have a child...it would be just right to have the son I have always thought I could never have...Before marrying her I had to make a choice: either Rei or a son. I knew I could never have both of them, and yet...I'm sure God wanted this pregnancy...*

Shinji was almost touched by thinking of that fateful sentence which Misato had said ten years ago. In that very moment it had become his motto: *A miracle's value can be appreciated only when it realized...*

The boy looked towards the sky through the window of the bus 

"And it's really true..."whispered Shinji, sighing with relief and smiling.

"HEY, SHINJI!!" someone behind him yelled, interrupting the boy's dreams and making him jump in fear. Shinji swung around to find his old friend, Toji Suzahara, grinning at him.

"TO...TOJI!!...ARE YOU CRAZY?!?!?" exclaimed Shinji, pale and frightened.

"What are you doing, you idiot!?!? Are you daydreaming?!?!?" Toji went on in a definitely ironic and malicious tone.

Toji circled Shinji's neck with an arm and whispered something in his ear which made poor Shinji blush to death (da morire).

"WHY ARE YOU TALKING NONSENSE, TOJI!!" Shinji yelled, more embarrassed than angry.

Toji kept on with his mischievous grin.

"Eehh...give it up!!! You know I don't trust you. Who knows what you and Rei are doing during the night?!!"

"TOJI, STOP IT!!!" insisted Shinji, not succeeding anymore in ignoring attention of the other passengers on the bus.

"Okay, okay...I won't let the other people see how far you can reach for your fantasies..."

Shinji tried to make his old friend change subject, before the driver could give them a good telling off. They were no longer young boys and being told off would be a big embarrassment for two adults like them.

"And...and you? How is it going with Hikari?" asked Shinji, collecting himself from the embarrassment.

"Oh! I almost forgot it!" Toji said, looking for something inside his trouser pockets. "Here. Finally, it's an invitation to our wedding. Hikari and I found an apartment which is handy for us, and I found a regular job as a trainer for a local mini-basketball team. So we have decided to get married. It'll be the sixth day of next month, and bring your little damsel as well please!"

"Ah, well, I'm happy for you! I'll come for sure!" answered Shinji, reading the invitation ticket for Toji and Hikari's wedding.

Toji smiled "I will be expecting you then!"

"Sure!" answered Shinji.

All at once, the bus stopped and the doors opened.

"I'm getting off here. The gym where I teach is near here. See you later, Shinji! Take care of yourself! And please give my greetings to Rei!" Toji said, while hopping off the bus 

"Thank you! And you, reciprocate with Hikari!"

"Sure, sure!!"

When all the persons destined to get off at this bus-stop had got off, the doors closed themselves and Shinji found next to him a seat which finally was free. He sat down, looking again at the invitation ticket for the wedding. With his imagination he had changed it to a born-annunciation ticket, imagining the one which, within nine months, would be like this. He'd have to deliver too. Shinji smiled and shook his head, making the thought which was wrapping him up, fade away. The young man looked out of the window, and saw that his bus-stop was the next, so he lifted up from the ground his briefcase, and got ready to get off.

Two hours later...

"Oh Rei-chan...you're not expecting only a baby. You're expecting two!!" Doctor Ritsuko exclaimed joyfully, while checking the monitor which was showing the inner of girl's womb during the ultrasound. 

"What?!?" asked Rei, astonished.

"That's it! It's really so!! They're twins! Look for yourself!" said Ritsuko, smiling and indicating two points present in the monitor. "Look at it...do you see that little spot here which is moving slowly?"

The girl nodded.

"Here it is, and this being one of the pair...and...do you see here? On the other side you can see the other little spot very similar to the first one. That's your second baby! Making them the two little twins! Unfortunately, it's still too early to determinate their sex, but one thing is sure: there are two babies!"

Ritsuko kept on with her smiling.

"I can't...I can't believe it!..."Rei whispered to herself, still astonished. She kept observing the monitor.

Ritsuko smiled and came back to look at Rei.

"It's true, Rei-chan! Congratulations, Treasure! You'll soon become the mother of two wonderful babies!"

Rei was almost on the verge of tears.

"Incredible...I...I...thought that...I could never have..."

"We thought too, Rei-chan. Yet the ultrasound here speaks clearly. There are two babies in your womb; two babies who'll bear in less than nine months. You see, science can take great strides, but remember that nature always makes greater strides. It's impossible to rule nature," Ritsuko said, passing the sensor over Rei's womb, gently, and keeping her eye on the monitor.

Rei smiled and look at the monitor where she could make out the tiny shapes of those who would soon become her children. All at once someone knocked on the door of Doctor Akagi's laboratory.

"Mummy, it's me!" said a voice which appeared to be feminine and childish, coming from beyond the door.

"Oh, Tomoyo-chan, is that you?" asked Doctor Akagi, speaking to the person who stood outside the door. The door opened slowly.

"May I....Hello, Mummy! Sorry...I didn't know you were working. Did I bother you?" asked discreetly a little girl about five or six years with very long dark hair tied up in two tails falling forward, and two big blue eyes, which matched the color of the elegant dress she was wearing. 

Hello, Tomoyo-chan!" chorused Rei and Ritsuko.

"No, please come in, Tomoyo-chan. Don't worry!" said Rei, smiling at the child. 

"Sure, Tomoyo-chan! Please, come in! We're almost done," answered Ritsuko tenderly, smiling at the child. 

Tomoyo shut the door behind her. Slowly she came into the lab and went to sit down in a seat placed in a corner of the room. 

"It's all right, my dear. You can get up now," Ritsuko said, helping Rei to stand up.

"Thanks, Doctor Akagi" answered Rei, getting herself sat over the litter where she had been lying before, and arranging her shirt. 

"Not at all, Rei-chan. Please be aware that since there are two babies the pregnancy will be more difficult, especially for you, being so frail. At the moment you're beginning the second trimester. Though the troubles are smaller, I bet you've already felt symptoms of nausea or sudden dizziness, said Ritsuko.

"Yes, it's true...because of them Shinji and I had to give up going out in the evening most nights," answered the girl.

Ritsuko laughed.

"Yes, exactly. And little by little, unfortunately, these symptoms will become more and more frequent and will be accompanied by other troubles such as pain in the lower womb, shivers from hot to cold, and sudden laziness. Around the sixth or seventh month of pregnancy, the babies will start the process for completing their bodies. Then, they'll keep on kicking and it'll feel like the babies have woken up all at once. This is the most critical phase of the pregnancy, but for this there's still time...there's no need to worry now.

"By the way, if you should feel ill, don't hesitate to call me! All right, Rei-chan?"

The lady nodded, smiling. Tomoyo, Doctor Akagi's daughter, listened to all the dialog silently. One could argued from the look on her face, that the little girl hadn't a word of the conversation.

Rei became solemn.

"But will I be able to accomplish the pregnancy?" whispered the young lady, with fear, after what Doctor Akagi had told her what a pregnancy implied. 

"Don't worry, treasure, we are with you, or better, with all of you..."answered Doctor Akagi, leaning her hands over the girl's shoulders, reassuring her all will have turned for the best. 

"Mrs. Ritsuko..."

Doctor Akagi hugged the girl in a token of comfort.

"I'm really very happy for you, Rei-chan. Now you've got a real family, which you built yourself, you've got a fantastic husband, and now you'll have some children too! A lot of congratulations, Treasure!"

"Doctor Akagi..."whispered Rei, touched. 

Ritsuko smiled.

"Oh, that's funny! I've almost forgot it!" she exclaimed, getting some sheets out from the desk that were for doctors' eyes only.

"What are these?" asked Rei.

"Here! They are some screenshots of the ultrasound. Let Shin-chan see your 'pupils' too," Ritsuko said, delivering the sheets in hand.

Rei looked at them, smiled, and nodded happily. 

"Now it's late...Tomoyo-chan, treasure, would you mind shutting the windows so we can go?"

"Yes, mummy!" answered the little girl, getting off the seat, and running to shut the windows.

"Come to think of it, Tomoyo-chan. Didn't you come back home with daddy today? Why did you come here?"

"Today we finished the singing-lessons earlier and when I went to daddy's hospital they told me that daddy won't be able to come with us for breakfast because he had to operate on a sudden emergency. So then I came to you!"

"I see...I'm sorry, love, I know you wanted to came back home with daddy today but our work is full of accidents..."

"Yes I know! Don't worry, mummy! I can wait for another day! And today he promised he'll be at home for breakfast!"

Tomoyo nodded and smiled once again, while drawing near her mother and Rei.

"Lucky you, Rei-chan! This job's commitments, among you and Shin-chan, will be a little frequent, and then both of you will be able to dedicate more of yourselves to your children!" said Ritsuko.

Rei blushed shyly saying, "Yes...then...see you soon, Doctor Akagi. Thank you for everything, and give my regards to Doctor Tsukishiro as well."

"Thanks Rei-chan! Reciprocate with Shin-chan!" answered Ritsuko. 

"I'll cheer up my daddy for you" said Tomoyo, turning to Rei.

"Thank you, Tomoyo-chan!"

Rei thanked Doctor Akagi her daughter once again, before they parted, taking different ways. Rei headed toward the lift while Ritsuko and her daughter took the longest corridor. While walking, Tomoyo looked at her mother

"Mummy..."

"Yes?" answered Ritsuko.

"Ehm...may I ask you something?" said the little girl, bringing one hand in front of the mouth, and blushing slightly. 

"Of course you can, Tomoyo-chan. What is it about?" asked Ritsuko.

"What's the 'Prettnancy'?" answered Tomoyo, shielding with her hand in front of her mouth.

"The 'Prettnancy!?!? Do you mean the 'Pregnancy'?!?!?"

Tomoyo nodded and Ritsuko smiled.

"Ehm...I'll explain it on the way home!" answered Ritsuko stroking Tomoyo's hair.

"Mm...dash! The lift is engaged..." said the girl with blue hair while clicking once again the lift's button, booking it. While waiting for the lift, the girl came back and looked once again at the ultrasound's pictures, which she had to show Shinji, smiling to herself she enjoyed imagining how her babies would be like once they were born.

Rei thought again to Ritsuko's behavior towards her daughter and to all the responsibilities which it involved. At any rate, it wasn't so difficult. Rei had learnt since she had known Shinji to take care of herself, then of him, and now, she believed that, finally, it wouldn't have been that hard to take care of other persons, or better, of her babies....

It was the noise of the lift's doors which broke off Rei's thoughts, opening at that floor, a little girl about three years old with two little brown pony-tails, chestnut eyes, dressed up in dungarees that were chamois colored and white short sleeves tee-shirt underneath them jumped out of the lift.

Rei recognized her.

The child seemed to be in a hurry. In fact, when the doors were fully opened, the child escaped with quick steps, waving only briefly at the girl who smiled, looking at the odd figure of the child, running so quickly.

Rei then thought maybe it'd be better to stop her. Usually children don't go around the huge corridors of Nerv...they could get lost. All at once she listened to some very quick steps, coming from the flight behind her, as if someone else was coming upstairs quick as possible, but very likely it was an adult this time.

"AKANE-CHAN!!! GIVE IT UP!!I PRAY YOU! STOP YOU!!"

At the exclamation, the girl turned and saw Colonel Katsuragi pop out of the stairs breathing heavily. She got her breath back for a second, while leaning a hand on the handrail of the stairs. Although some seconds later, she was running again like a possessed Demon, along the corridor, while keeping in her hand an opened pot of something, with a little spoon inside it. The Colonel became aware of Rei and thought maybe she, being nearest to the little child, could reach the child before she got away.

"REI-CHAN!!I PRAY YOU!!! STOP THAT CHILD!!! STOP HER!!" 

Rei, always obeying the orders which were given to her, chased the 'little fugitive' who was running only a few feet in front, when suddenly, the little girl stumbled over the laces of her shoes which were kept undone, and slammed to the ground, sliding along the smooth and bright floor of Nerv.

Misato ran towards the child before she could stand up again and with a leap caught her by an arm and lifted her up roughly while she was agitated.

"Ah-Ah!!! I caught you this time!! Did you see, Treasure?? How odd, wasn't it?? Today haven't you wondered why I let you undo your shoelaces without interrupting you?? Eeeh?? Ahahaha!! You outsmarted yourself with your own hands! OHOHOHOHO."

"Mummy!! Leave me alone!!" exclaimed the little child struggling.

Rei looked at the scene, astonished.

*What is Colonel Katsuragi saying to her daughter?? Has she gone crazy??*

Misato turned to Rei sensing her thoughts.

"Oh, Rei-chan. Don't mind! It's a long story!"

Misato sat down on the ground and put Akane seated in front of her while she took the spoon out of the pot. She took a spoonful of the dense orange liquid and gave it to little girl.

"Come on, Treasure!! Open your little mouth!! Aren't you happy?? It's the Yogurt of your favorite taste! Cheese and peach!" exclaimed Mrs. Katsuragi in a joyful tone, trying to convince the baby to eat. 

Akane looked at the little spoon with a menacing glare, then turned her face to the side, maimed the mouth and exclaimed, "NNO!!"

"Why not??? Give it up, Akane-chan! Don't make me waste my time! Mummy has got to work! Give it up!! Don't play games with me!!" exclaimed Misato, putting the spoon down when the little girl had turned her face.

"No, I said!!" she exclaimed again, turning again to the other side, and sticking out her tongue. 

"Akaneeee...You are the reason for my exhaustion!!"

But the little pest didn't let herself be intimidated at all by her mother's words. She was staying seated, turning her back to Misato, with her arms folded and her face high. Misato had an idea, after all, she was the operative director, and who better than her could devise some strategies??

"Okay....if you don't want it, Akane, it means that this very very very very good yogurt will be eaten by Rei & I. We'll eat it all ourselves, won't we Rei-chan??" said Misato, turning towards Rei, who was still looking at the scene curiously.

Rei was surprised, then saw that Misato winked at her as a token of assent, and Rei nodded, drawing nearer. 

"Eheh...*evil grin* did you see, Akane??? Very soon we will eat it all, and you will have nothing!!!

"SO EAT IT YOU!!" kept on Akane, in an imperative voice.

"..."

"Colonel Katsuragi, I guess you didn't persuade her," Rei said. 

"Yeah!!...*sigh* Lucky you, Rei-chan!! You haven't the trouble of children!!"

Rei got upset for Misato's words. 

After all, Misato didn't know of her pregnancy yet, therefore it was more than natural that she told her such a sentence. But, what did that sentence mean? Maybe it was better not to have children after all? What for?? 

"Ehm...Akane! this is your last warning! After it, I'll eat it all and I won't give you a thing! Okay??"

The little child turned to her mother, letting her see her own sulky and resolute face. 

"Like I said before, you eat it!"

"......*sigh*......" Misato, disconsolate and resigned, gave a look at the pot which she kept in her hand, with a dense pale orange colored mush inside. The woman assumed a sickened expression.

*uuuughh...I hate this yogurt...Look at what I have to do...* she thought, eating, unwillingly, a spoonful. Misato, before tasting that filth, wanted to give a desperate look at her child, to see if her daughter would change her mind suddenly but the little girl, as it seemed by her expression was very impatient to see her mother swallow the snack and give her proof how good it was! Misato inhaled deeply, closed her eyes, opened the mouth and brought a spoonful of yogurt near to her mouth, and sampled it. 

In the corridor there was a moment of silence: Akane looked at the scene intrigued while Rei was on the verge of bursting out with laugher. Misato was in a cold sweat, trying to swallow the yogurt, making an effort in order not to spit it out. After succeeded in her purpose, Misato tried to camouflage her sickened look, making a smile, and saying "mmmmmmhhh...that's gooood!!" she exclaimed, making a convincing smile towards her daughter. Some tiny drops of cold sweat were starting to drip down her face.

"Is it real good?" asked Akane, convinced.

"Sure is! It's very good!! Now eat it all, please!!" answered Misato, taking another spoonful, and bringing it near her daughter's mouth for a second time.

"Are you sure??" asked the child, still hesitating. 

Misato nodded. "Sure, Treasure!! It's so good!!! Come on, now!!! I'm sure that after you've had a taste of it you'll want to swallow it all in one gulp!" said Misato, continuing to play her comedy in front of the little girl.

"Mmm......"

Akane-chan finally opened her mouth. Acting quickly so that Akane wouldn't have time to think it over, Misato fed her. Colonel Katsuragi was in the verge of yelling Victory, but she had no time for caressing the idea, because nothing good was promised by the grimace of the child. 

"PRRRRRR!!! BLEAAACCCH!!!" exclaimed the little girl, as she spat the spoonful of yogurt, which had only just been tasted, on Misato. Misato looked at her dress, full of spots left by the yogurt. 

By Rei's look someone could argue that the girl made an incredible effort in order not to burst laughing, in light of Colonel Katsuragi's misfortunes. 

NOO!!!" yelled the woman after the pause of silence. "My clean dress!!!"

The child, splitting her sides laughing, fell over on her back.

"GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR...AKANEEEEEEEE!! LOOK AT WHAT YOU' VE DONE!!!" yelled Misato, irritated. 

The girl, not succeeding in recovering from laughing, still laid on her back, as if in front of her it was the most amusing show in the world.

Suddenly, the lift's doors could be heard opening in the distance, and from the elevator a man stepped out slowly, dressed up in uniform, with a pony-tail and an unkempt beard, holding in his hand a bag, where one could have argued held something round. 

"Are you still trying to make her eat that filth, Misato-chan?" said the man, while drawing nearer. 

Rei, Misato and the child turned abruptly at the man's sentence. As soon as she saw the man who was approaching them with slow paces, Akane-chan's tiny face brightened joyfully.

"Daddy!!!!!!" yelled the child, standing up from the ground suddenly and running to her father with open arms.

"Akane!! Come back here!" exclaimed Misato, while stretching her arm out to grab her daughter, but the child ignored her mother.

"Good morning, Mister Kaji!" said Rei gently, as soon as Kaji was close enough. 

"Hello, Rei-chan!" answered the man, brushing with his hand Rei's hair, as he used to do when she had been a young lady of fourteen. Rei smiled at Kaji's odd gesture. Colonel Katsuragi stood up on her feet.

"Oh Kaji-chan! Our daughter is a pest!! Asuka, with an huge effort of my will was bearable! But Akane-chan sometimes is a real rascal!! Look at what she's reduced my dress to!!" complained Katsuragi, showing Kaji the many spots that were visible over her dress. 

"Please, Mummy!! Don't be so angry!! Anyway, 'Nonò' will take it to the laundry, not you!" said the little girl, trying to avoid a scolding by her mother. 

"You're incorrigible, really!! And anyway, by now you are no more a child who can't pronounce the names well! His name is MAKOTO! How many times have I to repeat it to you?! Not 'Nonò'! said Misato, correcting Akane who used to call his big companion of play, Makoto Hyouga, with the odd nickname of 'Nonò'.

Kaji took in his arms her daughter, who had kept jumping, with her arms lifted to incite his father to take her up. 

"Eheh...it's easy to take care of the others' sons, isn't it Misato-chan? The real problem is to take care of one's own sons!" said the man, smiling. 

Misato placed a hand over her head, and bent it.

"Yeah...I hate to admit it, but that child behaves exactly the same as me when I was a little girl!"

"It isn't true!! I'm good. It's mammy who wants me to eat that filth! Bleaccckk!" said the child, in defense of herself, putting out her tongue in order to show her disgust. 

"Akane-chan!! How many times shall I tell you not to say the word 'Filth'!! And then the wild boy use to make grimaces!! Good little girls don't do that!!" exclaimed Misato, reproaching the ill-bred behavior of the child. 

Kaji burst out laughing, and said "Like mother, like daughter! Akane-chan, mummy's gotta reason! It doesn't sound good the word 'Filth' in a mademoiselle's mouth...and it's true! Wild boys make grimaces, and not the good girls!"

The child crossed her arms and snorted, while looking at her father with a menacing glare. 

Kaji kept on smiling.

"Then...will you promise you won't drive mummy mad, and you'll be a good child? If you'll be a good child, I'll give you a big slice of watermelon! Look at it!" said Kaji, lifting the bag which he held in his hand, and showing a nice watermelon, big and green, which was inside of it. 

"Ooh!! How beautiful!! The watermelon! Daddy!! Did you bring it from the kitchen garden below?" asked Akane joyfully, completely changing expression. 

Kaji nodded and kept on smiling.

"I want a slice, Daddy!! Let's go and cut it!" yelled the child standing up over her father's shoulders, and leaning over his neck.

"Okay, it's okay, now we're going to cut it!! Misato-chan, Rei-chan! You're coming with us, aren't you?" said Kaji, while pointing at the lift, in order to go down to the kitchen-garden, where to cut the watermelon. 

"Sure I'm coming!!" exclaimed Colonel Katsuragi. "Kaji-chan!! You're a myth!! I don't know how you do, but when Akane is with you, she becomes a little Angel! I have been spending all the morning, trying to make her eat the yogurt, and instead you, with a watermelon, are solving the problem!! You're a real myth, my little husband!!" kept on Colonel Katsuragi, drawing near to husband, and patting him over his shoulder, with a lot of praise.

"And you, Rei-chan? Please! Come with us!" said Kaji, inviting the girl. 

"Oh no, I thank you a lot, but I have not much time to lose, I have to go back home right now, and cook."

"What a pity," said Misato. "Shin-chan is really lucky anyway! He's got a wife like you who prepares for him who knows how many delicious dinners! Are you spoiling him, Rei-chan?" asked Misato. 

Rei nodded and blushed.

"Ehm. it's..."

"How I envy him!" said Kaji in a low voice.

"WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY?!?!? BE AWARE I LISTENED TO YOU!!" yelled Misato, turning irate. 

"N...Nothing..."answered Kaji with an angel face. 

"Daddy!! Let's go!! I want the watermelon!!" exclaimed Akane, pulling her father's hair. 

"Yes, yes! We're going, Akane-chan!! But let my hair down, please!" yelled Kaji, taking his hair from the little girl's hand.

"Sorry, Rei-chan, but, as you can see, we're hurry! See you soon!" exclaimed Kaji, turning towards the opposite side of Rei. 

"Don't worry, Mr. Kaji! See you soon!" cheered Rei.

"Bye Rei-chan! Take care of yourself! And give my greetings to Shin-chan !!" exclaimed Misato, lifting her harm and waving with her hand. 

"Yeah, I will, Colonel Katsuragi!"

Katsuragi's family turned and set out towards the opposite corridor. 

"Misato-chan, today I'm taking you out to dinner! Are you happy??" said Kaji, while walking by her wife's side. 

"Why shall you take me out for dinner right today? I had prepared curry at home!!" answered Misato, sorry at the idea to have to miss her favorite dish. 

"Exactly! What about having Italian Spaghetti today, instead of curry? Italian Spaghetti only in Italian restaurants! So we don't run risks..."

"In which sense!?!?! Maybe you would insinuate that one could run some risk, eating the curry prepared by me!?!??!"

"Nope!! What are you thinking about, Misato-chan??" 

Rei kept on looking at that odd family walking along the corridor, with a smile on her face. She turned her sight only when the three turned the corner. The young woman with blue hair, bent her head and smiled.

*What a strange family...they're always quarreling with one another but they love one another after all...and Akane-chan...what a scamp of child...who knows if even I'll be obliged to run after them, trying to make them eat when my children'll be born.*

Rei shook her head 

*Stop now, it'll be better for me to go back home. I won't go to Shinji now, to give him the notice our children are two, instead than one as we thought. I want to tell him this evening at our home, in our nest. Who knows how he'll be surprised? He never told me, but I knew that, after all, Shinji would have always wanted to have a son. But he knew he could never have one from me, so he didn't tell me, scared to hurt me, and every time we drew near this subject, he used to try an escape (via di fuga). He did it for me after all. Thank you, Shin-chan. I knew it. He likes children...And now instead...now I'll be able to please him...now. now Shinji'll have two. And I will be the one to give him them. It'll be me. I who has never had a childhood outside the laboratory where I was born. A human being born artificially. Me...it's right inside of me. A new life is bearing, or better, two lives. two children, fruit of the love between me and Shinji. *

Rei hugged to her chest the little sheets of the ultrasound, which she held in her hand, and smiled. 

"Shinji,. I'll accomplish this pregnancy, first of all for you...I promise it to you. "

12:30 P.M.

"Noon has already passed." said Shinji, the brand new vice-commander, casting a look at his wristwatch while standing still on the escalator to exit Central Dogma.

Shinji became thoughtful.

*A son. Before, caught by emotion and happiness, I had not reflected over this point of view. To have a son means to become father. Then I'll become father. *

Shinji bowed his head, and his expression became suddenly sad and melancholy . 

"Father," whispered Shinji in a low voice. The boy couldn't help thinking again about an event of his past childhood. Perhaps one of the worst in his life. The moment when his father left him all alone at the station in tears, to be granted in custody for legal statement to Aunt Yukio and Uncle Hayashi. 

To maintain him was a burden for them. My father. Surely he was never bothered that much, as I am now, when my mother told him she was expecting a baby. As far as I have been able to establish, even nowadays, I guess he hadn't mind that much. Therefore, it should be even harder for me to become a father, than it is for the other people. Anyone knows how to behave with their sons, because they follow their parents' example and how they took care of them in childhood. But I'll never do that...I'll never follow the mean example which my father gave me. Then…how should I behave?. I'm scared. I don't want to disappoint Rei. I was not able to grasp the meaning. But I'm scared that I could disappoint her above all.*

While sorrow and insecurity could still be read on the young man's face, he lifted his head and became aware that the escalator had almost arrived to the Geofront's exit. Ikari made a step forward, and went down the elevator's stair. He took his ID card, and passed it through the slit, so that the sliding doors opened, and let him go outside. 

Once Shinji was out of the Geofront, he noticed the lack of something. He turned left and right. 

"There's no one!" he said, rather surprised when he found the entries and exits of the Geofront unwatched. "Where are all the guards?"

Shinji drew nearer, making some step forwards towards the outside, and the sliding doors shut themselves once again. While stepping forward and wondering where could have the guards ended up, because they usually were always watching over Geofront passages. Shinji heard some distance away some laughs and yelling, which became more and more frequent, moment after moment. Shinji turned right, and realized that the row which he heard came from the other side of Geo Front. Shinji headed towards that place with slow paces, wondering what was happening, while yelling and laughs increasing in volume as he rapidly approached. The New Vice Commander, after a while, went round the corner and finally saw almost twenty people from a distance wearing military uniforms with the Nerv mark stamped, having a good time and laughing like crazy, while drinking happily from big bottles of beer. 

Shinji stood looking at the scene, confused.

"What's happening right there?" the young man asked to himself, and decided to draw nearer in order to understand something about that. Nevertheless he was amazed, trying to imagine what the guards were doing. They're usually severe and resolute men at their work. When the boy was rather near them, it didn't long for him to understand the men were having fun because of they were dead drunk. 

"What's with you!? You're not allowed to have alcohol during job!!" exclaimed Shinji, trying to take an authoritative tone of voice. Those guards didn't bother to take a look at the young man, and kept on bursting out with laughter, scornfully, totally ignoring Shinji, who was looking incredulous at the scene. 

Such a thing had never happened before, especially with the guards of Nerv. 

"AHAH!!! BOYS!!!! HERE ICOMING MORE BEER!!!!!" exclaimed all at once a male voice behind the young man. 

Shinji turned all at once, and saw in front of him the Chief-Guardian, Aida Kensuke, drawing near to the drunk guards, while holding in his hand a big bag full of bottles of beer for the guards and in the other hand a still half-empty bottle of beer, which he had taken for himself. 

"Kens...er...Commander Aida!" exclaimed Shinji, surprised in seeing his friend. 

Kensuke stopped laughing and looked at Shinji; he almost looked like being a little more sober than the other ones. 

"SHINJI!!" yelled Kensuke, putting the bag on the ground, throwing his beer in air and jumping on Shinji, clinging to his shoulders, while all the guards gathered around him, picking the bottles from the bag, as if they were bees around honey. 

"Ke. Kensuke...What are you doing!?!?! ARE YOU DRUNK!! LET ME GO!!!" yelled Shinji, while struggling free from Kensuke's grab. 

"Surely I'm not drunk!! Ghhhhhh!!" exclaimed Kensuke, keeping a malicious smile. "I'm crazy for joy!!! That's even worse than being drunk!!!! AHAHAHAHAH" exclaimed Kensuke, while searching lazily through his trousers pockets. 

*Has he gone crazy!?!* Shinji thought, while an enormous sweat drop was on his head. 

"Where is it !?" said to himself Kensuke, recovering his composure, and letting Shinji go, in order to search through his pockets with both his hands. 

"What?" Shinji asked, starting to feel sick of this act. All at once, one of many drunk soldiers drew nearer, holding in his hand, besides the bottle of beer, also which looked a crumpled photograph. 

"*Ich* Thisss...*ich*. fell out...to you...*ich...CHIEEFFF! *ich*" the soldier pointed out, while handing the "portrait" to the young Chief-Guard. 

"Oh!! Here it is! Thanks a lot, Soldier Ryuzaki! Keep on drinking, please!" answered Kensuke, taking the photograph from the soldier's hand. 

"* ich *.... I did my duty. *ich* My Captain!...* ich*...Th.... Thanks...Ca...:Captain!. By...by the way...my name. *ich*...is Moriyama. *ich*. not...RyuzaGHi...*ich*. " answered the soldier Moriyama, while making a military salutation as best as he could, tottering from left to right, then going to drink with the other guards. 

Kensuke straightened the photograph, trying to arrange the creases, and laughed to himself maliciously, while doing it, under Shinji's confused eyes. Shinji was more and more convinced that his friend had definitely drunk more than Misato-san used to during the time when Shinji still lived with her. 

"Kensuke, have you finished?!" asked Shinji, while realizing the time had passed by.

"Here it is !!" Kensuke said, putting his arm around Shinji's shoulder again, bringing his face nearer to Shinji's face. 

"Look here!!! Admire!" Kensuke said, bringing the very creased photograph up in front of Shinji's eyes. Shinji still confused observed the photograph which showed a baby, probably of few days, inside a cradle while still in hospital. 

Who's he?" answered Shinji, not grasping the situation yet. 

"Iihhhhh!! Where did you get your eyes, Shinji!?! He's obviously my son!!! Look here!! Isn't he a spitting image of his father!?!?!"

The young man was taken by surprise. He could have never expected such an answer by his old schoolmate. 

"WH...WH...WHAT?!?!!? YOUR SON!?!? KENSUKE!! YOU'RE NOT MARRIED!!!" Shinji yelled in surprise. 

"Then, Shinji? I'll be married within six months, I can't see the reason why you're getting so angry...How antiquated you are.... Haven't you seen how beautiful my little jewel is? He's just like his father!!" Kensuke said, coming back to look at the photograph. 

"And...and...who is the mother?!?" Shinji asked, amazed at Kensuke's words. 

Kensuke cast a malicious glance, and smiled passing his hand through his hair. 

"Mmm. Nozomi Horaki, of course! *GRIN*"

"NOZOMI HORAKI?!?! HIKARI'S YOUNGER SISTER !?!?"

"Right. Her! We have been together for two years! You didn't know?" Kensuke asked , taking out of his pockets another photograph, a well preserved one this time, which showed him and Nozomi in swim-suits over a beach.

"But I......I had never imagined you were interested in Nozomi!" Shinji said, beginning to grasp the situation. 

"Well! Of course! When we were attending school, she wasn't but an eleven year old child! But now you have to admit she has become really beautiful doll, hasn't she?!?" Kensuke said, giving nudges in sign of agreement to his friend. 

"Well...yes...after all she became a beautiful girl. " Shinji said, observing the girl accurately, and agreeing with the fact that she and Kensuke made a nice pair. Kensuke nodded satisfied, then came back to look at his own son's photograph once again.

"Two days ago my sweet heart gave birth to this wonderful jewel...aaaaaaahhhhhh!! *SMACK! SMACK!* My lovely!!! *SMACK!!!*, the chief-commander said, while kissing the photograph, frenetic

*Now I can understand Kensuke's happiness. My mother!!* Shinji thought, with an enormous sweat drop over his head. 

"What's his name?" Shinji asked, curious about the situation. 

Kensuke looked at the sky, and proudly lifted his badge, while the sun made it shine even more.

"In the name of this badge, and of the rank of Chief of Guards, I hereby name my son with the proudness of my heart, MUSASHI! Just like the famous soldier Musashi Benkei who died staying on his feet, while being fired upon by a lot of enemy arrows!!!" yelled Kensuke in a resolute tone of voice, while the drunk guards behind him were clapping happily at his exclamation, making a racket. Shinji tried to pity them, always with his head full of sweat drops. 

Some minutes later.

*Musashi...poor baby....* Shinji thought ironically, while walking slowly along the pavement of a town road full of traffic.

*I could have bet Kensuke would have saddled his son with the name of some soldier who had performed such an heroic deed, that he had been cited in a book of history.* Shinji went on, while smiling and thinking again about his ex-classmate and the guards' joy. 

*Who knows what joy will be for Kensuke.... He's already imagining a future for his son...he wishes he can become a famous soldier. I'm sure, my father cared about what I became. Neither I could imagine all this, when I was a child...I couldn't imagine my life to have that importance as now, after all...I have already reached the most important thing...I'm not talking of my role at the Base as a vice-commander...Neither I'm speaking about having defeated the Angels, and having brought peace to this world. * the young man thought, remembering again the past events, having a flashback of ten years ago while looking at the indifferent behavior of people walking in the crowded street in Neo Tokyo 3 

*After all.... all these people don't know who I really am. They ignore who Rei is, who Asuka is, and who my father is. For them, I'm only a twenty-four year old man, walking through town. A common citizen of Neo Tokyo-3. And it's better this way. I want it this way. I want to be considered a common person. I have never minded fame and success. I had only a target, and I reached it. The only thing really important for me is Rei. Only she and the child she'll give the birth to...and nothing more...*

End of first part

PLEAAAAAAAASEEEE!! SEND YOU C&C!!^O^ONEGAII!! I beg you!! ^^


	2. Opening The Future Doors- 2nd Chapter

opening3 " Opening The Future Doors" 

Second Chapter   


Five days have gone by since 15th May 2025, the day when Shinji and   
Rei had received unexpected news that was all good , soon Rei would be having a baby, or   
better, twins. Shinji had not accostumed to the idea of becoming father; however, the more he thought about it, the more the idea sounded incredible to him. He couldn't find words, or thoughts, in order to show his enormous happiness, Rei also felt the same feelings.   
Just to think that ,inside of her own stomach, two lives were growing made her tremble at the thought, but happy at the same time, very happy to know that she was to conceive two living beings. the maternal conception, which nobody had ever given her…but the past was the past, now all this didn't matter at all. Shinji had filled her need of love in the best possible way, and it had been reciprocal, now both of them were happy, and soon they'd have felt gratified by the birth of their sons, the fruit of their love.   


* 

"COUGH! .COUGH! WH..WHAT!!?!?!?!?!" Misato's yelling echoed across Ritsuko's apartment, making almost the walls to tremble. Misato jumped on her feet, surprised, while coughing tea, which had gone the wrong way for the amazing news that Ritsuko had only just given her calmly.   
Even Akane and Tomoyo, who were running after one another, yelling and making a racket   
all over the apartment, and had fallen silent all at once, stopped scared by the sudden exclamation of Colonel Katsuragi. 

"What's with you!? "asked doctor Akagi in a astonished tone of voice. 

"But…but..are you serious!?!!??!?!?!" exclaimed Misato again, quickly wiping her mouth of all the tea still on her lips. 

"Sure, I'm serious! What's strange with it?! "answered Ritsuko, keeping a calm and quiet tone, as if it were something absolutely logical. 

Misato, still incredulous, knocked her hands against the low small table, and answered in an upset voice: " HOW CAN YOU ASK ME WHAT'S STRANGE?! REI'S EXPECTING A BABY! " 

" Two twins! " kept on Ritsuko, trying to "forgive" her friend. 

Misato goggled "How.. YOU SAY, you say ..two twins!?!? And…from who!?!?" 

"From Shinji, of course!! They're married!" , continued Ritsuko, trying with her calm tone of voice, to appease the surprise of Colonel Katsuragi. 

".Mommy! WilLLl you do for me a Ttwin? " , answered innocently Akane, who had listened the discussion while Tomoyo kept on laughing and grinning for Akane's freakish request. 

"Oh my…but…how in the world?!!? Right Shinji!!!" kept on Misato, with a astonished face, while calming down and sat down slowly. 

"But..what's with you, today?!? Why are you getting excited so much? I don't see what' s strange with it!" answered Ritsuko. 

"But right Shinji!! With Rei!! They will have twin!?!?" Misato blushed, while uttering the last two words. 

"Misato... why are you scandalized so much? What's wrong with Rei being pregnant! On the contrary, I have to say I'm really happy for those two." answered Ritsuko, while drawing up to herself the teapot, set upon the small table in front of them. 

"But..they're so young!! They both are only 24!!" answered Misato, while calming down. 

"Listen to who's talking! Be aware, I didn't forget when we were at the university, you played Hooky and spent whole days in the bed with Kaji! ;;;;;", answered   
Ritsuko, looking askance at Misato 

Misato blushed wildly at the doctor's words. 

"Umm..well…but…what has that got to do with it?!", blubbered the woman, very very embarassed, while putting her hand behind her neck. 

The woman sighed, while looking stealthily at a very very embarassed Colonel Katsuragi, trying to camouflage her shame, laughing nervously. 

Misato recovered herself finally, and returned to silence "Wait a moment, Ritchan! Didn't you always believe that Rei was sterile?" asked Misato, confused. 

Ritsuko, very calmly, started again to sip her tea "We were wrong", answered, while moving the tea cup away from her lips. 

" You were wrong?!?", exclaimed Misato, while drinking her tea cup which was starting to get cold. "How did it happen that you ignored this kind of thing!?" answered Misato, still surprised for Ritsuko's fault. 

The woman became thoughtful, while her gaze became lost in the void. "Well, it was not a real error, exactly. After all, Gendo did not care if Rei was fertile or not, so we never did tests in confirmation of Rei's sterility...it was one of the many points completely insignificant to him. That girl should have lived only until she had finished being useful for him.", she answered, with her tone expressing her regret and sorrow about the horrific projects involving Rei, which she had taken part in the past. 

Misato's expression darkened too, thinking again to their past, then she looked away from her friend, and tried not to express her regret to Ritsuko ."Those two have gone through some much to find happiness .....", answered Colonel Katsuragi, while looking at her daughter Akane playing happily with Tomoyo , sitting down on the floor, not so distant from them, totally oblivious to the situation. 

Doctor Akagi nodded , then went on thinking again of her past, and of Misato's also, and of many other persons. 

Misato put a hand over her thoughtful friend's shoulder ..that gesture dispersed her thoughts, she lifted her head and looked in the eye of the person who stood by her side, and was smiling sweetly. 

"Give up...let's not think anymore of all those unpleasant things that happened in the past. It's all water under the bridge…now we all are happy. Forget those horrible adventures you had with a man who isn't worth being mentioned .Now you've got a husband and a daughter who love you, and that is the most important thing." said Misato, in a sweet and quiet tone of voice. 

Ritsuko nodded and smiled " You're right. Thanks, Misato-chan.". So saying, she turned and looked at the picture framed, standing near the dresser. It portrayed her and Yukito at their weddings, then looked away from it, and came back talking with her friends. " And you, with Kaji? It has been a while since you talked to me about him!" 

Misato leaned her elbows upon the table, interwined her fingers, and leaned her chin over them. "mmm…Kaji is often very busy with his work , these days, and is coming back home very late!" answered Misato, in a bored tone of voice. 

"I see...well, the work of an investigating agent calls for a lot of dedication", answered the woman. 

"Yeah, that's right! At least, every time he comes back home, he could pretend to like my curry-rice!!! Instead, every time he comes back home and had heard that I had prepared my specialty he always takes me out for dinner!!! ."answered Misato, with a annoyed and sad tone. 

"Poor man, I think I know the reason for him doing this, exclaimed Ritsuko, who knew well the 'delicious' dishes Misato was used to preparing 

"What are you insinuating?!!? ..that I'm hopeless at cooking!?!?" yelled an angry Misato. 

"No, no.." Ritsuko stretched her arms forward, in order to avoid an ambush from Misato, who usually became furious when people insinuated that she was hopeless at cooking. 

"Ggggggrrrrrrr!!!!!!! " 

Some days after... 

Shinji kissed Rei standing at their home's door, as she used to do, At the end of the kiss, Shinji looked in Rei's eyes, smiling. 

"See you later, my love.", said Shinji, sweetly. 

The young woman nodded and blushed slightly, while she caressed her stomach with a hand. 

Shinji moved his eyes to her and stayed looking at it "They'll be two", murmured in a sweet voice.   
  
Rei bowed her head over her stomach, "Yes..." 

"I could have never believed I'd have become father of twins.", said Shinji sincerely. 

Rei shook her head "Me too.. I'd have never imagined." 

"It'll be wonderful, we four together, Rei-chan." , went on the man, coming back to look in the eyes his young bride.   
  
"Shinji." murmured Rei, lifting her eyes to Shinji 

The two lovers were in the point of heading nearer to kissing each other again,   
all at once, in order to waste that magic moment, Colonel Katsuragi jumped at Shinji's shoulders, and made the poor man jump for his life, while Rei drew back astonished. 

"HEYYY!!!!!!!YOU LITTLE DEVIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!FINALLY WE SUCCEED IN TALKING *GRIN*", yelled Colonel Katsuragi, literally jumping to the neck of   
the new Vice Commander Ikari, in a very malicious tone. 

"WAaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!.Mi.Mi..Misat..ehm..Colonel Katsuragi!!!What are you doing!?!? 

"Co.colonel Katsuragi." whispered Rei, terror in her voice. "Colonel Katsuragi?!?" , kept on Shinji , with a scared tone. 

"GIVE UPPPPPPPPP!! You know very well what I want to say!?!? Don't you, Reichan!?!?", asked Misato, turning to Rei 

Rei was surprised by this Misato's words, and , with some astonishment, answered "Me?" 

Misato laughed, released Shinji from her grip, and then drew nearer to Rei 

"…then Rei-chan , you're expecting little babies, aren't you???" , whispered Misato, while raising an eyebrow, in a sinister way, and laughing . 

Rei's cheeks blushed , she smiled and then nodded, while Shinji , at Misato's shoulders, started sweating cold, while her face became purple more than a mature tomato's pulp. 

Misato smiled at Rei sweetly, took her hands, and started stirring them with hers own. "Congratulations then, Reichan!! I'm really very happy for you two!! I'm looking forward for your babies' birth !! And I hope for you that they won't be like Akane, because you'll end up to the mental hospital, otherwise !!",exclaimed ironically Misato, in a happy and lighthearted tone. 

"BUT WHAT DO YOU SAY!!! " , said Akane , snapped while frowning her eyebrows and folding her arms.. 

"Th..thanks, Missis Misato." answered Rei, with an enormous. sweatdrop over her forehead. 

Misato smiled again like an angel, then resumed her menacing glare, and turned to Shinji 

"Eheh….as regards us, Shin-chan.", whispered, while Shinji kept on being in a cold sweat, and drew back slowly. 

Misato approached Shinji, running to him "Then, my dear future Daddy.. soon you'll have two twins.. eeeeh???" Misato answered, taking up a really scaring tone again. 

Shinji's sweat was over and over copious over his forehead…there were sweatdrops "Yes…yes...It's..it's..this..this way..really..." *good Lord! when Misato behaves this way, remembers me of Asuka!!* thought the boy, while remembering all the 'gentle' sentences which Asuka used to tell him, when they both were under Misato's guardianship. 

"Hiiiiiiiiiiii!!!! It looked so impossible to me ..I couldn't believe my shy Shin-chan is in the point of becoming father!", exclaimed Misato, arm in arm with the young man, while ruffling his hair with her other hand. 

" Well done, Shin-chan!! You're not at all that of a shy boy!!! I could have never bet you'd have become a father, because of your shyness!!" kept on the woman, while Akane went on jumping around her, begging : "IN Your ARRms !! In Your ARRms!! Mummy!! Take me in your armssss!!" 

Shinji blushed shily , while trying to camouflage his flush, and the same Rei, who smiled , looking at Misato playing tricks over Shinji, this way.   
Finally Misato took her arm away from the young boy's neck, and indulged Akane, taking her daughter in her own arms. 

*Maybe I should thank Akane-chan ...* thought Shinji, while trying with a hand to arrange his hair, which Misato had ruffled completely 

Misato stopped to speak ironically over the situation, and smiling sweetly kept on talking " Anyway, be happy, guys! " exclaimed Misato, while Akane put her hand over her mother's shoulders. 

Shinji and Rei looked at Misato surprised…after all the irony of before, they didn't expect to look at Misato talking seriously all at once.Their expressions sweetened , finally "Misato.", whispered Shinji 

Misato smiled once again "Now I got to go to the Base! And you' d better go too, Shinchan ! If you don't know, it's 8:10, and I guess you lost the bus! ", went on Misato 

Shinji tore his head out "Oh my god! The car's still being fixed! " 

"After the last time. When Kensuke crashed into you from behind" Rei answered, thinking again about Kensuke's odd adventures, when he tried to drive a car the first time. 

"Yeah ..." 

"Come on ,now! I'll give you a lift, if you want, we're going to the same place!" answered Misato 

"Yes!! But the small seat is mine!!" answered Akane 

"Ok! " answered Shinji, sighing "Then see you later, My beloved! " answered Shinji, saying goodbye to Rei. 

" See you later…!" answered Rei, while closing the door behind her , still smiling at Misato's words   
The young woman leaned her back against the door she had closed, and looked towards the ceiling, with a smile on her face. *People are surprised that Shinji and I will going to have twins soon...after all, I was surprised too .I'd have never expected it ….now I'm scared, really.. what are little children like? I have never lived a real childhood.. I remember only this one thing of my childhood....*The young woman's expression darkened, for recalling a chunk of the season one could have considered her infancy...even if she had lived it in an another body 

*FLASHBACK* 

"It's not fair to call a person an "old hag"! When Commander Ikari will come back, I'll make him scold you!" , exclaimed Dr. Naoko Akagi, while trying to keep a calm demeanour in front of those offences, pronounced by a six year child, standing before her at that very moment. 

"It was Commander Ikari calling you so… That old hag…that useless hag, that old hag is only a burden… That useless hag.., that old hag is only a burden...' 

SHUT UP!!!SHUT UP!!! SHUT UP!!SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!." The woman yelled, while gripping the child's neck with force, until the little 

Rei breathed her last. After that, she left her fall on the floor, spasmodically. 

"Rei...you're the real useless hag.. even if you die, you're expendable" 

*END OF FLASHBACK* 

On the young woman's face, a tear slid slowly, her bang covering her eyes . 

... after all....it was the only Moment of her infancy...and it had not been that good, of course.. 

"Meaaaaaooww...", mewed Hoshi, the white cat Shinji had presented to Rei for her birthday, some month ago. She rubbed herself against Rei's ankles, making her forget of the train of bad thoughts wrapping her in that moment. 

The little cat succeeded in her purpose of diverting the young woman . . infact she bent down to the cat.. "Hoshi-chan, what's up? " asked Rei, caressing her back   
with his left. 

"Prrrrrr.*strush*.meaaaaaawwwww..." the little cat let her be caressed with pleasure by Rei, while starting to purr.. Sometime after, the cat went away slightly, keeping on mewing , then she turned to Rei, as if she was inviting Rei to follow her. 

Rei undrestood it and followed her slowly." Where are you bringing me, Hoshi?.", Rei answered made curious by the strange behaviour of the cat.. Hoshi took Rei to the upper floor, through the inner stair which Shinji, Kensuke and Toji had built some month before their wedding.At the upper floor, they had also set Hoshi's bed. In fact the cat was coming into the living room where she had her bed, always keeping on inviting Rei to follow herself. 

The cat drew nearer slowly, and when she arrived in front of the bed, she stopped for a moment, and turned by the other side, looked at Rei and meowed one more time. 

Rei drew nearer and saw a little paw of cat , popping out of the bed, and a slight mewing coming from inside of it. 

"But what.." the girl looked inside of the basket. It couldn't be Faye, their Maremma sheepdog, which oddly lived in perfect harmony with Hoshi… He was too big , he get into Hoshi' s basket, so she leaned more to it, and finally could look at its content. Three tiny kittens. A black one, a white one, and a white one with black spots, all sleeping inside of it. 

"Meow! ", meowed Hoshi, while she came into the basket and kept on licking the little cats inside of it. 

Rei took one of them in her hand, it was so little that it fit perfectly with her hand   
"But these are kittens.", said while skimming with the other hand the face of the little cat she had taken. Then she looked at Hoshi "Are these your babies, Hoshi?" asked Rei confused, as if Hoshi could understand her words. 

"Meow.", mewed the cat, looking at Rei, as if she had really understood what the girl had only just told her. 

Rei smiled and looked again the little cat in her hand , it was sleeping, its little eyes still closed, so little.   
Sometimes it moved her mouth in order to mew slightly, then it closed it again. 

"Meeeowww.", recalled Hoshi, lifting her paw towards Rei , as if she was trying to make Rei understand that she wanted her kitten back.. 

Rei placed the little kitten inside of the bed together with the other two kittens which were sleeping, and the mother came into the bed , trying with her little paws not to tread on the two other kittens, and perched in the middle, keeping on licking them slowly. 

Rei sat down on the floor, Indian style, and stayed there to stare at the scene, smiling. 

*Who knows if my babies will be as little as they are.* , thought the girl while she also was caressing an other asleep cat with her right hand. 

*Who knows if Hoshi was already ready to become a mother… after all, she is only a cat,   
she had not minded so much of it, for sure. She didn't have a happy infancy either, because when Shinji brought her, he told me that he found her, abandoned inside of a little canvas bag next to a dustbin.   
But she now was giving an happy infancy to her kittens. She has not allowed the anguish overcome her, she was not scared by not knowing   
how to make her kittens grow. She did it, that's all.. As I should do it too.... It is no that difficult: giving them love it's enough . Until some years ago, I didn't know the meaning of this word, but since Shinji came into my life, I needn't any explanation….I've understood it all alone. As Hoshi's doing in this moment. .Hoshi is protective of her kittens. Even if she knows who I am by now, she didn't let me keep her kitten in my hands so long. Why? Is this the behaviour a mother should have?."   
Rei lifted up on her feet, when she listened at a mewing coming from the windowsill of the room, which stretched out beside of one of the many cherry-trees which were all around the home, and saw a little cat all in black, sat down elegantly, with a proud and resolute glare, on the windowsill "Meowww" , meowed, still swinging slowly the tail.   
Rei looked at the cat a little surprised. I had never seen him before now. Then she looked at Hoshi , who as soon as she saw the cat, moved away from the kittens, and with a leap, jumped over the windowsill , where the cat stood, and she became to rub herself against him. 

Then Rei understood that, probably, that black cat was Hoshi's fiancee, and the father of the three kittens which, the same night, Hoshi had given birth to. 

The girl smiled looking at the scene *How pretty they are...and so Hoshi also settled down?. She found happiness together with that cat, and had three kittens. I found happiness with my Shinji too...and soon we'll have two little ones. By now, I think I could get off with my role of mother, but , just like Hoshi, only if there'll be Shinji besides me. My first and only love.*   
  


In the meanwhile. 

Shinji was still in the car together with Misato and Akane. 

Shinji was sat down on the passenger's seat, next to Misato who, as a rule, was the one driving. . There was silence into the car ,and the Nerv was still distant.   
Strangely, neither the shrill and cheeky voice of Akane were audible, this one thing surprised her mother too. So, while she was driving her car, turned her gaze to the rear-view mirror, reflecting the   
back seat, and she saw her little Akane, who had fallen asleep over her car child's chair. Misato smiled. 

"What a miracle! She felt asleep!" , exclaimed Misato quietly, trying not to raise her voice tone more than   
normal, in order to avoid a similar miracle could be violated. 

Shinji was caught unaware "And? What..?", then he thought again about last Misato's sentence, and understood the sense of it, then turned and looked at Akane-chan sleeping .Shinji   
remained fixed to her , and then he also smiled, being moved by the little pest's figure which in that moment looked like a little Angel. In the good sense of the term, of course. 

Misato smiled again, while not looking away from the road.   
"When Akane-chan 's asleep it's hard to believe she's such a pest being awaken, don't you think, Shin-chan?", Misato asked Shinji, while keeping on casting glances to the rear-view mirror. 

Shinji nodded, while coming back to sit down on his seat sedately "Yes, it's true. But she's a happy and thoughtless child after all. It's normal she is so lively when she's awake.", answered Shinji. 

"mmm! Not bad! Are you inquiring about the subject 'children', aren't you, Shinchan? ", answered Misato ironically. 

At these words from Colonel Katsuragi, his former-guardian, the 24 years old boy smiled, trying not to become sad, then he shook his head:   
"No. This very thing isn't so. I know very very few things about it", he said, almost reproaching himself. 

Misato was keeping on looking at the road… this behave of his had not changed at all, she tought. And after all, neither the same Shinji had changed. Even if the boy was happy now, had everything he could have desired, his insecurity in facing a new situation had not changed at all. And Misato, who could really affirm she had brought Shinji up by herself, was aware of it. 

"Are you scared to become father, aren't you, Shin-chan?" asked the woman in a sweet but deep and resolute tone of voice. 

The boy bent his head as he was used to do, when a problem harassed him. "What's more..I'm scared I'm not up to it…I'm afraid I couldn't be a good father for my children....and I could disappoint Rei, this way.", answered Shinji. 

Misato kept on looking at the road, but one could have argued from her glance, that she was paying attention to Shinji , and that the discussion she was having with him , was important for her "Shin-chan, you shouldn't reproach yourself this way . It's normal that you be scared in this situation, it's so foreign to you. That's an emotion you've never felt before", Misato said with her sweet as ever tone of voice. 

Shinji looked straight into Misato's eyes, listening carefully to her words in silence. 

" Look at me for example. When I knew I was expecting Akane, my mind was filled of a lot of thoughts and sensations, but at the same time, of a lot of fears. Yes, of course, I was happy to the idea of becoming mother, of having a daughter all for me and of finally living of what could have been called Happiness together with her and Kaji, the man I love. But my biggest fear was that I could have never been able to become a good mother for Akane. About Kaji' s part, I had no doubt he knows how to do with children! But I was scared not to be able to give her love, affection, and all the rest…and believe me, it was not that simple convincing myself to be a good mother…I kept all inside of myself!   
I didn't want anybody knew about this weakness of mine! I bought everyday dozens of books about motherhood, and child education, and I tried even to learn whole chapters of them, in order to be able of behave properly when my daughter will have born. But then , when   
Akane was born, it was like all of those lines had been erased from my mind, thrown out like rubbish Something inside of me told me: 'It's no use you follow all the instructions of those books, you   
already know everything! You know how to act!' And it was the truth! It was as if I already knew how to behave with Akane, since the first time I saw it ! All at once, all my fears faded away, and were replaced from the strong believing that the one I had in front of me was my daughter, whom I will have been able to give all that a mother could give to a daughter." 

Shinji stayed astonished, listening at Misato speaking so sincerely about her private life. He had always seen Misato as a strong and brave woman, without any doubt or fear, as when she decided to take charge of him, ten years ago, so resolutely, without thinking again of it more times. He had always seen in her the motherly figure which had been taken away from him, when he was still in his most tender age. Then, when Akane was born, who better than her could have taken care of a daughter ? She could look at herself almost like at an expert of the matter , even before Akane's birth , because she had been the one who gave Shinji maternal affection when he also was little more than a child.   
He could have never imagined that Misato also could have some doubts and insecurities . The thing had left him very perplexed. 

"Are you really, Misato?..", asked Shinji, inconsciously. 

Misato nodded smiling "Sure, Shinji. It has been the same for me. What you're feeling in this moment, I already felt it too. I understand you perfectly, sweety.", answered Misato, while coming back to look at the back-view mirror, showing her sleeping little child.   
Shinji couldn't help being surprised by Misato's words . And to think that he had been many times together with Misato and Kaji, during the period of pregnancy, but Misato didn't look worried at all, on the contrary , she was vivacious and happy as ever ! She didn't look being scared of the situation. She was rather good at hiding her fears and weaknesses, in front of the other persons, during the period of pregnancy. 

"I bet Rei also doesn't look worried to your eyes that much for the situation, on the contrary she faces the thing with a smile, isn't this so, Shin-chan?" 

Shinji nodded promptly, and smiled thinking of her young wife."Rei is really an exceptional girl.I whis I had at least half of her courage. After all, she is the one who holds our children in her womb. Then the situation should be more complex for her than for any other person, in this moment.. She's instead facing the situation holding her head high, proud and resolute" 

"No, Shinchan."Misato interrupted firmly Shinji's talking. 

Shinji turned surprised to look at Misato's face, in order to understand the reason why she had denied Shinji's affirmation. 

"It's not like it seems,, Shinji.Rei's not facing the situation proudly resolute as she is letting you think .", the woman kept on, steering left. 

"What do you mean, Colonel Katsuragi?", Shinji answered, confused by Misato's words. 

"Rei is in your same situation, Shinchan. On the contrary....Rei is for sure much more scared and feared than you.", answered Misato quickly, as if she already knew what she had to answer to.   


Shinji's face was amidst confusion and surprise. What did Colonel Katsuragi want to say with this affirmation of hers ? Was it possible that Rei was really scared of the situation too, and she was trying to hide all inside her behind very sweet thoughts and emotions , which she used to express, when she talked about that subject .? 

Misato shook her head , smiling to herself "Oh Shin-chan. How similar we two are.", murmured the   
woman again.   
"In which sense?" , answered the boy, still far from understanding Misato's affirmations'sense. 

"When I was attacked from this fears too, during the pregnancy, I used very often to have a confrontation with Kaji , the day I told him I was pregnant , and soon we'll have had a child, he run into a shop of childcare-items, and spent more than 20000 yen, buying things such an high chair, a cradle , a pram, toys, clothes for children, and all the rest. To my eyes, that man was the ideal father. He never lost the occasion to tell me that I had made him the happiest man in the world. I admired him a lot . I admired his proud and resolute disposition, all the contrary of mine in that moment. But he didn't know of my fears, neither I knew of his." 

"Does it mean Kaji was also really scared , but he did everything in order not to make you become aware of it?" The boy asked, keeping on understanding the meaning of Misato's biographical account , and also started to understand what Misato was referring to "Then.. maybe Rei also is trying to hide her fears in front of me ?" Shinji kept on again. 

Misato nodded "I'm sure of it, Shin-chan. It's this way.Rei' s behaving exactly like you. And the reason is the same: she doesn't want to disappoint you! She's scared like you are, and that if she made you be aware of her fears, you'd be disappointed by it , and you'd think that she's not able to cover the role of mother which will be up to her." 

" But Rei knows that she could never disappoint me!!", exclaimed the boy ,   
confused by Misato's ideas. 

"I know, but Rei doesn't want to run that risk! She loves you too much.", answered Misato, going on with their reassuring and sweet tone. 

"Eh?" Shinji felt more and more confused, he had never thought about a version of the facts like this one. 

"Exactly, Shin-chan. She trusts in you so much , and wants you too keep on trusting her.   
She's aware you're so happy she got pregnant, so bringing it to an end has become a goal to reach, and only when your children'll have been born, when your pregnancy period will have come to an end, and you two will become a father and a mother, she will believe she 'll have crossed the goal-line. All this, giving you happiness, is so important for her. Shin-chan,she's not even aware of it, probably, but she's doing everything in order to make you happy. Nevertheless, she feels frightened, thinking of going through this route, just like you feels, like I felt and Kaji felt, and just like it frightened all those have had children. .And it's right it's all this way. It shows you and Rei wish the better for your children." 

Shinji listened carefully at the things Misato had told him. The woman's words kept on echoing in his mind, over and over, he was reflecting about each of them, trying to discover their true meaning. The realities were reflected perfectly by Misato's words. Her reasoning was flawless, it was the perfect answer to the questions he had been wondering about for many days long. 

Without Shinji being aware of it, time had passed, so quick that they had arrived at Nerv's parking right then; he realized it when Misato braked suddenly, then she parked the car in her strange way: it all took his attention off of Misato's last words, and made him come back to Earth. 

"Aaaaaaaahh!!" exclaimed the young man, caught unaware by her former-guardian's terrible way of parking. 

Finally Misato looked away from the road , and looked at Shinji astonished.   
"What's wrong, Shin-chan!?! Don't tell me you've already given up the habit of appreciating my driving style, haven't you!?" said Misato, smiling. 

Shinji, still agitated, breathed a sigh of relief "Yes. I guess I'm no more accustomed to it." Then he thought to Akane, and turned suddenly, imagining the poor child had awaken because of the rough manouvre; instead she was living in dreamers country, heavenly, she had only restricted herself to turning her tiny face by the other side . Shinji stood amazed at looking at the child still sleeping. 

Misato didn't mind of it, as it seemed, opened the car's door, taking off the safety-belt, which Shinji did by his turn "Here we are at work, again!" exclaimed Misato in a resigned air, it was same all daily- routine, she had always taken philosophically. 

Misato and Shinji went off the car, then the woman drew near to the car's door, she opened it, and seated on the back seat, staying sideways and leaving her legs out of the car's . Then she stretched her arms towards her daughter Akane,   
and slowly started to undo the belts which were keeping her little on still on the little seat, finally, making an effort in doing it silently in order not to wake up her, she took her in her arms, making her to lean her hand over her shoulder, while closing with a kick the back door of the car. 

"Fiuuuuu…she has not waken up luckily!", said Misato, noticing Akane's slight movements during the sleep, while the child grabbed her mother's neck. 

"If she' d have woken up, she'd have started again to play up; she has slept a little this night."said Misato, leaning the other hand over Akane' back, then she yawned "ME Toooooo*Yaaaawnnnnn* ..." 

Shinji laughed "Why do you take her at work, Colonel Katsuragi?", answered Shinji, noticing how fatiguing was for Misato face up Akane at work too. " 

"Parents who work in the morning usually send their sons to the kindergarden, until they reach the age for going to school", went on the young man. 

Misato smiled, keeping on walking with Shinji over the conveyoer belt inside the Geo Front 

"I tried to send her to the kindergarden some time ago, but she cried desperately, once I crossed the threshol. And I didn't like looking at her smiling this way. I suffered more than her.", Misato answered, in a sweet tone. 

"I see, it has to be a torture, look at one's own sons crying, isn't it, Colonel Katsuragi?" Shinji answered *Well..my father, as far as I know, doesn't feel this way..*thought the young man , sadly, while remembering again the moment when his father forseek him at the station, when he was at the age of four. 

Misato nodded "If there's something I don't suffer at all is to see her crying .Then I decided to bring her at work everyday. After all, she doesn't make troubles, I always succeed in keeping her busy with someon or something..", went on the woman, while making her ID card pass through the slit . Shinji did the same. They had arrived at Central Dogma..   


Shinji though again over Misato's words. She had become really a good mother, she loved her daughter very much, even if she still were the same Misato as ever , lazy and bungler, and always very attached to beer, nevertheless she had become a really responsible mother . As it seemed,   
nobody had teach her how to do it .She hadn't attended at any course on education, in order to become a mother, and, as regards all those notions she had been learning from many books about motherhood , they had turned out useless after all , as she herself had   
said. Therefore, in order to become parents, no particular education was needed. Most of it was based on instinct. 

When the conveyer belt, going through the mazes of Geo Front, finally arrived at their destination, Shinji and Misato parted ways from necessity, because their jobs were placed in opposite directions. 

"Now I've got to go that way, Shin-chan. See you then, Honey"   
Misato said, standing still for a while, before setting out for one of the labyrinth-like corridors across the area of Central Dogma. 

"Well. Good work, Colonel Katsuragi! See you then...and.. thanks for all..", answered Shinji shyly, trying to keep a formal tone, while talking to her former guardian. It was difficult to speak so formally to the person who had brought him up many years long . By now, he was no more a fourteen year old boy. Now he also was an adult, who will have become a father soon. 

Misato smiled "Give it up. How long must we go on this way?   
Stop all this formality, Shin-chan! You're treating me as if I was an extraneous person!", said Misato in a joking tone, pretending to be annoyed by Shinji's formality. 

The young man blushed, ashamed "So..sorry.", he whispered in a very low voice, while lowering his eyes.   


Misato knew Shinji too well , by now. Even if ten years had gone by, since she decided to take charge of him, in order to pull him away from loliness' arms, still he didn't look any different to her. He had remained her little and shy boy.. She was aware of the reason why the young man persisted in not being of first-name terms, talking with her. By now she could intuit his thoughts perfectly. 

Misato smiled at the embarassed Shinji, who took heart seeing the Colonel's smile, and returned with his own. After it, both of them turned at the same time, heading towards opposite directions.   


*You're good as you are, Shin-chan. There's nothing you have to change in yourself, so that you could become a good father.* Misato thought to herself, while walking long the corridor that should have leaded her to the lift, very soon. 

*Misato had been scared, Kaji had been scared. But anyone overcame this moment. Why must I feel so unprepared , even after having heard of their experience? I'm so scared." Shinji's thoughts weren't giving him a moment's respite..He was still scared, in spite of Misato's words.   
He was frightened, and was keeping on believing that no testimony in the world could have calmed his worried soul. It all was only about him and Rei...all the rest was outer, too outer, in a similar predicament....   
The sliding door of the lift in the west wing of Nerv opened slowly when the elevator stopped at the tenth floor. When they were fully opened, the young man inhaled deeply, showing clearly the angst which was enveloping him, little by little...So he made a step forward, almost mechanically, and went out of the lift, whose doors closed immediately, once he was outside of it. The young man looked all around the corridor...there was no one ....anyone was busy with their daily jobs, rather than wandering around the corridors of Nerv...maybe it would be better for him doing the same..   
His Job could have been a good diversion, taking his attention off the thought which was becoming a kind of obsession for him. So he made his way towards the main area of the Base. Nevertheless, once he went around the corner, he didn't notice a little 'obstacle' who was to meet him in his way, so the brand new vice-commander of Nerv, without having either time to understand what was happening, stumbled and found himself staggering forward and backward, before prima di ruzzolare in avanti tumbling forward, with a big slam which echoed along the whole corridor 

"Ouch...ouch...." Shinji whispered, while trying to sit down on the floor, with a hand over his head "What a bang,,.what....", the young had not even the time to wonder what he had bumped into, since he heard a shocked crying, coming from a child behind his shoulders. 

*But..what's up!?.*the young man thought, suddenly turning to stare at the place where the crying was coming from. . He was struck from by he saw. Behind his shoulders, there was a child, crouched on the floor; at a first glance, one could have argued that he was not yet a year old:   
he was crying desperate, holding tightly his little hurting hand, which was the cause of his weeping. Then Shinji understood everything, understood that his child was nothing but the 'obstacle' which he had stumbled over. Maybe Shinji had trodden over the child's hand , unintentionally, while falling down. 

"Waaaaaaaahaaaaaa!!", the child was still moaning, tears going by from his childish face, more and more. 

"Fu.Fuu-Tien." Shinji whispered , still incredulous for what had happened. 

The child, turned to Shinji's call, having recognized his own name; but it wasn't enough to stop him crying . On the contrary it was increasing beyond any limit, while showing his hurt hand. 

Shinji kept on feeling very guilty "Oh my, look at what I did this time!!" Shinji exclaimed, while getting up again on his feet, quickly; then he headed nearer to the boy, taking him in his own arms. 

"Oh Fuu-chan. I'm so sorry.. .I wouldn't ! Sorry!!" the young man said, while wiping away tears of Fuu-chan's face , with a napkin which he quickly took out of his jacket..   
The child, obviously , was too little to understand Shinji's words; and even if he had grasped their meaning, they wouldn't have been that useful to calm the pain of his hand. The more Shinji looked at that child weeping, the more he (sentiva) his heart heavy with feeling of guilt. By then he was grasping what Misato wanted to say, when she said she couldn't suffer the sight of Akane crying, most of all, when she knew she was the reason of her weeping   
He didn't know how to behave. "As I thought, I'm not a good model of father.", whispered Shinji in a low voice, almost being ironic over himself. The young man looked around him, looking for someone who could have helped him; he had never been in such a situation, it was not the best he could think of. He wished he could cut it off .But there was no one walking along the corridor, and little Fuu-Tien didn't look like calming down at all; on the contrary, he was screaming over and over. 

"Well..calm down!." Shinji begged the child, while trying to rocking him to make him stop crying. If someone had passed by there… how embarassing!! A future father who can't even make such a little child stop weeping . In that moment , Shinji was awfully embarassed. He was ashamed for ignoring such an elementary thing.   
If he hadn't been able to calm down one single child, how could he have managed to reassure his own children, who will even have been two?   
Shinji was caught by deep rage, he was almost hating himself. Just before, because of his absent-mindedness, he had made a child being hurt. A poor child who, probably, had got lost inside of the huge Nerv Base..And then , he couldn't even reassure him! He was ashamed of himself, that moment. Nevertheless, he understood the situation couldn't have gone on that way. He ought change it !He was no more a little boy! By now, he was almost twenty five. He was adult enough, to be able to face up to difficulties ! So, he took the child hand with his, all at once, and gave a quick look at it, becoming aware that, luckily, it didn't look like it was broken; it was only a little reddened. But it had to be unbearable for such a little child, as Fuu-tien.   
The young man smiled at the child, looking at him with those eyes filled with tears; then he leaned him over his own shoulder, and kept on caressing his back. "Shhh. Don't cry anymore.. we shall go to the bathroom, right now, and then we'll wash your tiny hand. You'll see, the pain will be over.", Shinji whispered to the child, carrying him to the nearest bathroom.   


"Hey!! Misato!! Take look at this!!" , doctor Akagi exclaimed, astonished, while getting up in front of a gossip-magazine, which looked like bringing some very interesting news. 

"mmmm..", Misato groaned, dozing, with her arms folded over the writing-desk, her head leaned over them 

"Misato ?!.what are you doing !? Are you sleeping!?", Ritsuko said, amused, while shaking with her arm Misato's shoulder, without taking her eyes off the magazine. 

Misato lifted her head up from the table, yawning slowly "Yaaaaaawnnn.. What's happened, Ritsuko!? " 

"Hey! You know, if Commander Ikari passed by here, and found you shirking at work, he wouldn't let you get away with it, for sure!" , Ritsuko answered ironically. 

"mmm.. you're right , but I'm ready to drop. Last Akane didn't let me sleep a wink.", Misato kept on by her turn, while making an effort to keep her eyes opened. 

"Something like: 'Mommy, would you tell me a story?' ", Ritsuko answered, being aware of Akane's typical whims . 

Misato shook her head "Nope.Something like: 'Mommy, I've got a stomachache.' The next time I will see Kaji giving so much watermelon to Akane I swear I'll make him pay for it! I spent a sleepless night because of that!! " 

" Ritsuko burst out laughing "Actually, you're really going too far with all that watermelon these days! " 

"Yup....Well... What are the bomb-news!? " Misato said, rubbing her eyes, while yawning once again. 

"Look at who's on the first page today!!",Ritsuko said, handing the magazine to Misato. 

Misato looked at it , absentmindedly, casting a glance to the photographies which were impressed over the paper "Look at it! Here is Asuka! What's with it!?It's not the first time she appears on a magazine! She is so popular!", the Colonel answered, handing the magazine to the friend, again. 

"Yes, but this time she has not appeared on the newspapers, in order to show off some other fashionable dress.", Ritsuko answered, without taking the magazine back from Misato's hand. 

"What do you want to say!?", answered Colonel Katsuragi, surprised. 

"Read the first lines!", Ritsuko answered. 

Misato brang again in front of herself the page of the magazine, which showed Asuka's photographs, and took a closer look, to read the captions near to the pictures, in a loud voice. "Well....Asuka Soryuu Langley, 24 years, who has just made a name of herself in the high fashion world-wide , finally, after having broken million and million boys' hearts, has succedeed to find the man of her life!.He's a young conjurer half briish half-japanese, Eriol Hiiragisawa, 22 years hold; she knew him during her last trip to United Kingdom, for her last photographic service. The news was a big scoop, all around Europe and Asia, particularry in Germany and Japan! 

Because of the nationality of the top-model,half German and half Japanese.." Misato stopped for a moment, and then looked at Ritsuko 

"Well, looked at it...Asuka found an other decrepit man, ready to run after her...If I think again how she made that poor guy Isamu suffer..(*).And, in my opinion, the   
same will happen with the little magician, here.. Eriol Hiragisawa." Misato said, not at all surprised by the news, as if something like this had become   
an object in everyday use. 

"Eh no!." Ritsuko answered "This time Asuka says she is serious..Read the second caption!" 

Misato turned the page slowly "Yes. Yes.The last time she said this way, we saw poor desperate Isamu in tears for days and days. Asuka likes to break the frail and naive boys' heart. I can remember when she even tried with Shinji." 

"..Don't you remember when she tried with Kaji!? ", Ritsuko teased her, being aware that subject flied Misato into a rage 

" NO!! I don't remember of that, really!! And I won't you remember me of it, understood!? ", Misato yelled, lifting up all at once from the writing desk, and beating her hands against it for rage 

"How touchy you are..." I was only joking." Ritsuko answered, while gesturing to Misato to calmd down 

Misato came back to sit down, and started again to read the magazine. "The news made even the biggest Fashion-House stay astonished; how is it possible that Asuka preferred a simple conjurer, and even younger than her of two years, rather than numbers of admirers who tried to catch her, being much more famous than the English magician?! The stubborn model answered to the question this way: ' Eriol and me have been chosen by destiny! He's worth of me, and I'm worth of him! Is he younger than me!? Are you stupid!? Wouldn't you admit I knew a lot of people in my brilliant life! And I can ensure you that Eriol is the first boy I know who shows me to be a real man!! Incredible that he has Japanese origins !! Japanese boys are totally stupid, without any morals!! I can say it for sure, because of my past experiences!" 

" Asuka is resolute, isn't she!?" ,Ritsuko asked, turning to Misato 

Misato nodded, without looking away from the magazine, which looked really interesting   
"You can say it for sur..WHATTTT!?!!?", Misato yelled literally, while goggling, making Ritsuko jump to her feet, for fear , and letting the paper cup fall down of her hands; it contained the coffee which Ritusko ha already taken by the automatic machine. Misato made Akane to wake up with a start: the child was still sleeping over the velvet chair. 

"What's the hell! " Ritsuko said, still scared by Misato's scene. 

" Ri..Ri..Ritsu..Ritsuko!!! Look at this photo!!! " Misato yelled, still handing the newspaper to Ritsuko 

"What!? What!? ", Doctor Akagi took the magazine from Misato's hands, and looked at the photograph which Misato pointed at. 

"Read here!!", Misato said, showing the captions. 

Ritsuko kept on reading in a low voice "Latest news about the relationship between the model and the conjurer: the photograph you can see on the right, was the last where our repoter succeded in immortalizing Asuka and Eriol, some month after the beginning of their relationship.   
Four month after, to be exact. The german model looks like being serious involved with Eriol. Don't you also think that she is too 'pot-bellied' in this picture? Models usually pay a big attention to their own figure. But now...if she has not put on weight, maybe he's a baby!?And, as chance would have it, there's always him next to her! He's the man who is being envied terribly by half-world in this moment: Eriol Hiiragisawa!" 

Akane rubbed her eyes with a drowsy air, laying on her stomach over the chair , and she turned by the other side, keeping on sleeping, covering herself better with the jacket which her mother had used as a blanket for her daughter. She was too sleepy to start playing 

"ABSURD!!;", Ritsuko exclaimed, she too shocked for the text on the magazine, lifting up as Misato had done 

"ASUKA IS PREGNANT!?!?" Misato went on, not succeding in calming her tone of voice. 

"But..maybe..maybe it's only gossip..!!.And still the picture doesn't look a photomontage at all.. and there is the tummy!! " 

Colonel Katsuragi looked at Ritsuko in her face, they both were astonished 

"Yeah...There's the tummy... So Asuka is pregnant, really..." 

Misato catched quickly the cordless which was next to her , and at once typed a number "Only so we'll have an answer! We'll make her give a direct answer to us!" 

Ritsuko nodded "Right!! " 

".I'm pregnant of my Pokemon Ball! ", Akane said, turning to the external side of the chair, while showing the Poke-Ball-like key holder which she kept linked to the belt of her little dress. 

In the meanwhile… 

Shinji held the little Fuu Tien in front of the sink, grabbing the child by his waist, having leaned him upon the border of the sink itself, while rinsing Fuu-Tien's hand with cold water. By now Fuu-Tien had stopped crying, finally, even if he still sobbed a little 

"*Sob*...waaah... *Sob*.*Sniff*...." 

"Does it still hurt a lot , Fuu-chan? "the young man answered, while caressing the child's wrist.. 

The child turned his own face to Shinji, and looked at him in his eyes, keeping on sobbing 

Shinji closed the water tap, took again the little Fuu-Tien in his arms, then he looked at his hand.The blush looked to have passed by completely; now the child's hand was fresh, maybe still a little stiff, because of the fraleness of his body. But perhaps the pain had passed . Shinji put the child over his right arm, and looked at him in his face, before leaving the bathroom. The child stayed looking at Shinji in her face, and the image of the child was reflected on the man's face.   


"Oh, Fuu-chan. Believe me, I'm so sorry for what happened . I hope you'll be able to forgive me " Shinji said caressing with his left Fuu-Tien' face, still wet with tears. .The child listened at Shinji carefully. He looked almost like he could grasp the meaning of what Shinji was telling him , which was impossible for a child of a few months as he was. 

Shinji leaned his back against the wall, while caressing the face of the child. 

His eyes…oh my..he was so similar to his mother.   
He was identical to her. Who knows whom his children would have been like to? "I'm not a good father..aren't it, Fuu Tien?." Shinji said,   
unconscious, while making an effort to smile, while touching a subject so painfull for him. 

Fuu Tien kept on gazing at Shinji carefully, with a dumbfounded air. Shinji was keeping on smiling faintly. "What do you think, Fuu-chan?." 

"Ga?...", whined the child, bringing his little hands to the face of Shinji.Tiny hand which were soon wetted by the young man's tears, who, without being aware of it, kept on give vent to his own fears, which had gathered in the young man's heart, during that period. 

The child touched curiously Shinji's hands. Shinji became aware of the child, only when he brought his own hands over the man's eyes, as if he were drying his tears. 

"nn...noo.", the child moaned in a sad tone, as in order to incite Shinji not to cry. 

The young man opened the eyes again, surprised by the action of the child. Shinji   
smiled, tenderly this time, and started again to caress the child's face. "Thank you, Fuu-Chan.You're so dear."   
Fuu-Tien's look became joyful , seeing the new Vice-Commander of Nerv smile again; then he leaned over the young man's chest, pressing close to it. 

Shinji closed his eyes. It was a pleasant sensation, to have a child crouched to his chest. He smiled and put his hand over the child's back, caressing it. In that very moment, he felt all the fears in his mind, which had been hammering him day by day, fade away quickly..it was as if his heart had started to feel them foreign, and begun to turn them away. 

"Little Fuu-Tien. I don't know why, but it seems to me like you have understood everything about me. ..I know, it's impossible, but you're the one who gave me trust in myself..the one I had almost lost at all..and still you're only a child of few months. Who could have said it?." 

Fuu Tien rubbed his eyes, yawned, then he slowly fell asleep over the young man's chest, with his little clenched fists, and a smile drawn over his lips. 

The young man looked at the sleeping child. He was moved again. After all, it wasn't so difficult to be a responsible father. Maybe, it was more difficult to be an evil father, as Gendo had been, more than being a sweet and tender father, as he'll have been.   
The young man left his thoughts, when he realized that , probably, Fuu Tien's parents had to be worry in that moment, for their son's absence. Fuu Tien couldn't walk yet, but he often crawled, and probably he had to go away while his parents were inattentive. So it would have been better go and look for his parents. . 

Shinji took the lift, directed to the fourth floor, where Fuu-Tien's parents worked usually.   
It sounded strange the child had a Chinese name, though both his parents were Japanese.   
Maybe the reason was that his father's parents were Chinese, and it was decided to name Fuu Tien's like his grandfather, in order to honour him. Anyway, that name fitted him perfectly. 

It sounded so sweet, sweet as he was. But maybe every name is sweet, when it's give to a child. 

Once he arrived at the fourth floor, Shinji went through one of the corridors, which will have led him to destination. In fact, the closer he headed, the more he heard some voices, as if someone was quarreling. The voice sounded very familiar. 

"I can't believe it!!!!! How could you do it!?!?!?", the exclamation echoed through the corridor. The man turned the corner, and saw in the distance doctress Maya Ibuki, in front of the office door, making a heavy scene with captain Shigeru Aoba, her husband, who had stayed there to put up with her , trying to explain his own reasons, even if it was impossible to calm Maya's anger 

"It was not my fault, dear!!! He was there a moment ago and I was working!! And when I turned he had vanished !!" the poor Shigeru said defending himself, trying to calm her.But he didn't reach his goal... 

"You are a liar!!! You weren't working!!!You were playing your electric guitar again!!Do you think I'm so stupid to believe that you were working!!?!?!? You can't deny it!!" Maya was really furious. Neither Maya or   
Shigeru had been aware of Shinji observing the scene, otherwise they would have lowered their voices 

"Eeeeh...emm... ehm...Maya-chan. I didn't mean it...I..." Shigeru kept on smiling nervous, not being able to object against Maya's truth anymore. 

Maya looked at Shigeru filled with anger, then she burst out crying. 

"*Sob*..I knew it!! *Sob* It's all your fault, Shigeru!!! Because of that damned guitar, I'll have to look for our little Fuu-Tien!! Bwaaaaaaaahah!!!!!!Who knows where he could be, right now? You should be ashamed of yourself, Shigeru!! I had entrusted him to you only for an hour !!Poor my little Fuu-chan!! Who knows how scared he will be, in such a big place !!! " Maya didn't know to cry or argue with Shigeru 

"Ehm...Maya-chan,don't be this way! Nothing could happen to our little Fuu-chan!! A child crawling on all fours will not be unnoticed!! Perhaps someone has already found him and is bringing him to us! Or he has stopped somewhere to play " 

"STOP!!! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANYMORE, SHIGERU!! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT, FUU-TIEN GOT LOST!! AND NOW YOU CANNOT MAKE EXCUSES, YOU HAVE GOT TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS!!! UNDERSTOOD!?!?" 

Before the quarrel increased, Shinji had decided to move forward and return them the baby, explaining the situation. 

"Ehm.... Excuse me..."Shinji stopped Maya and Shigeru's argument, while slowly moving towards them. 

Both of them turned suddenly towards him, once they had heard Shinji's voice, and Maya, imaging that Shinji had probably watched all their scene blushed terribly, then she first bowed, greeting in a militar way "GOOD MORNING SIR VICE-COMMANDER!!" 

Shigeru copied Maya's gesture some moment after, clumsy "GOOD..GOOD MORNING!!" 

Shinji moved backward embarassed! He was not used yet to be greeted in such a formal way 

"Ehm…good..good morning to you ! " , answered the man, blushing. 

"Well..I have heard your argument unintentionally and I came back to return you your son .", Shinji said, drawing nearer and showing the child who was still asleep. 

Maya and Shigeru got up after the bow, then they looked at their son sleeping in the young vice-commander's arms and cheered up at once. 

"Aaaah!! Here is my little Fuu-chan!! Thanks a lot, Vice-Commander Ikari!!! " Maya exclaimed, while running towards Shinji to take her son back 

"Not at all... ", Shinji said, passing the baby to Maya gently. 

Maya took the baby in her arms and hugged him thightly to her, while Shigeru went towards her smiling, and she was petting the child's head with her free hand. 

"Please excuse me....", Shinji said, trying to explain. "I was walking and I absent-minded stumbled over the child, who came towards me, and perhaps, before I fell, I stepped on his hand... I merely rinsed it with fresh water,and he looks like he's good now. I'm so sorry for this little accident ! " the man said, in a regretful tone. 

"Oh, don't worry , Vice-Commander Ikari!! We ore the ones who have to excuse ourselves. I had taken my mind off, and Fuu-chan who was playing on the   
ground went away crawling, without me noticing him! I'm sorry for having given you troubles!" Shigeru exclaimed, keeping on caressing their son's head. 

"You're safe, Shigeru! Thank you Shinj…ehm….the Vice-Commander for having saved you by my anger!! " Maya said to her husband 

"Ehm. yeah! it's true! But..what do you want from me!? I'm still a beginner as a father!" Shigeru answered, defending himself. 

Shinji smiled " Say no more..it was a big pleasur for me to spend some time with your son...he learned me a lot of things..he's really a wonderful   
child.Congratulations, really!" Shinji answered, thinking again about how many things this experience had learnt him. 

"Th..thanks", Shigeru Maya chorused confused, not undrestanding what the man was referring to. 

"Now I've got to leave you.." Shinji said , bowing quickly, and observing one more time the little Fuu-Tien who is now sleeping among her mother's   
arms, before turning and going on for his way. 

"Good-bye, Vice-Commnder Ikari! And thanks for all!",Shigeru answered in a shrill tone.. 

Shinji walked smiling now, while heading towards the lift again. Now he had no doubt about the possibility of being a good father. He was sure of it.   
That child had given him a lesson of life. After all he had not been that bad. .He had done the same with Rei ten years ago, when they both were pilots, and the girl had her hand burnt , while preparing tea, and he wetted it under the current water. . 

That time, staying so near to Rei, he understood what he felt for her was really love. And so , now, it happened the same thing with the little   
Fuu-Tien. How is it possible water was so important in his life?.. Shigeru also feels a beginner as a father..but not for this reason he's not able to   
give love and affection to his baby. It was not a problem, and Shinji knew it. By now, he was no more scared, and he was happy. He was looking forward   
his child will have born. Misato was right. Fears disappear only when someone faces them. He was sure that Rei also thought this way..... 

End of Second Chapter. 

*Some time ago I read an american FF of Eva, where a carachter called Isamu,   
who was created by the author of the Fiction ("THE HAPPY LIFE"), fell in   
love with Asuka and decided to become her boyfriend. But I modified the   
thing a little. Infact, in my FF, Asuka broke off with Isamu   
  
  
  


*Some time ago I read an american FF of Eva, where a carachter called Isamu, who was created by the author of the Fiction ("THE HAPPY LIFE"), fell in love with Asuka and decided to become her boyfriend. But I modified the thing a little   
la cosa . Infact, in my FF, Asuka broke off with Isamu 

********* 

DO NOT FORGET TO REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	3. Opening The Future Doors- 3rd Chapter

open3 Opening The Future Doors   
Third Chapter   
24th July 2025. 18:30 PM 

The sun was setting over Neo-Tokyo 3, once again. A few cars were slowly crossing the main streets of the town, while some over-heated passers-by were walking on the sidewalk, in the summer sultriness.   
As a rule, Neo-Tokyo 3 registered the hottest temperatures in Japan. There was a desolate path in suburbia, where one could only hear the birds twittering over the cherry trees, reddened by then, and the bell-tower of a little church in the neighbourhood slowly tolling. And still, that path wasn't as desolate as it seemed at first sight. There were some girl-students from the First Junior High School in Neo-Tokyo 3, the place where many persons had underwent unforgettable emotions, during their teens. They were "glued" to the church threshold. 

"Ooooh…did you see him?He's has come today, too!!", whispered one of the girls, blushing, then covering her cheeks in her hands. 

"Yeaah..he's so lovely..", answered an other next to the first girl. 

"He has the look of person being cultured!He's always spending time reading very difficult books, everyday", the other went on speaking. 

"It's true. But there's something worrying me: that he's coming to the church, everyday, at the same hour. Won't he have intentions of taking vows?" 

"Oh, no!!!", chorused the four girls, finishing their daydreaming. 

"Don't dare repeat that again, Miaka!!It would be a sheer tragedy", exclaimed one of them in a worried tone. 

"Sure..he's such a nice boy! If he became a priest, he would throw his handsomeness to the winds!", Miaka went one, looking again at the interior of the church,where the boy in question must be, in all likelihood. 

"Come on, girls! We gotta think positively! Maybe he's been spending his afternoons here, so that he could read peacefully in such a quiet place as a church." 

"Nadeshiko!You're always so optimist!Let's hope you're right", Miaka went on. 

"Ooohh..he's so lovelyyy!", chorused the girls. 

But they were not the only one to be interested in that person. Not any girl had the courage to show one's interest in him while being in front of the other girls. One of them was sitting on a bench, hidden behind a tree. The bench where she sat on was the last of the row of many other seats, and the nearest to the church. She was a girl of about seventeen, and she didn't wear the uniform of the First Junior High School of Neo-Tokyo 3; she wore a different one. Probably she attended a school which wasn't even placed in Neo Tokyo 3. 

Despite it was the same old sailor-suit, the uniform was much more elegant and formal than the other girls' one. It was bright orange, with a velvet black ribbon under a white green-stripped collar, which was coloured the same manner as the cuffs. 

Even from her features, she didn't look like a japanese girl. The hair of the people in Japan is usually not so light, unless they dyed it, as Mrs. Akagi did. And yet, her hair had not looked dyed.   
It was very long and had been tied in two plaits, decorated with violet ribbons, which hung down to her cheeks. Her eyes had not been the typical kind of Japanese persons too; instead they had european look to them, being light green and almost transparent. Inside them one could read all her shyness in approaching other persons. Infact the girl was spending all her time gazing at the church, and at the other girls continuing to chat about their idol. She was clasping in her hands something like a letter closed inside an envelope, while leaning her hands on her knees. 

"Ehm…sorry..". A male voice, probably a young man's one, made her suddenly turn, because she was frightened. She turned towards the direction where the voice came from, and found a boy standing in front of her. He was Shinji Ikari. 

"Sorry! Have I made you scared?!", Shinji asked, noticing the girl's sudden reaction. 

The girl blushed and shook her head. "No..don't worry!", she answered.   
One could notice from her voice that she pronounced Japanese with difficulty. 

"Thanks. Listen to me! Would you mind telling me the time?", asked Shinji. "My watch has stopped..", the young man explained shyly, while showing her his wristwatch. 

"Wh..what!??", the girl answered, not succeeding in fully understading what Shinji had said. 

Finally Shinji made out the girl had trouble understanding Japanese. "I had asked you if you could tell me the time", the young vice-commander went on with a bit of embarrassment, saying his words so that they were easy to understand. 

"Oh, I see..". She suddenly stood up, embarrassed for not grasping why she had been addressed, while carelessly making the letter slip from her hand onto the ground. "It's..it's half past six..", the girl answered, unsure of her pronunciation. 

Shinji caught her uneasiness about the whole situation. "Thank you very much! Sorry for bothering you", replied the young man, while picking up the letter that had fallen from the young woman's hand. 

"No problem!", the girl answered in her turn. 

"This seems to have just fallen from your hand", Shinji exclaimed, handing the letter to her. 

As the young man returned her the envelope, she blushed and answered with a clumsy bow: "Do..domou Arigatou" (*) 

Shinji smiled. "It's all right..see you around." 

"Wait, please!" the girl exclaimed, stretching out her arm towards Shinji. 

"Sorry!?", Shinji replied. 

"Sorry for interfering you..but ..are you going into the church, by chance?", whispered the girl, wondering whether to speech or not. 

Shinji nodded. "Yes. Can I help you?", he asked. 

She blushed furiously, while her hand was nervously trembling, still holding onto the letter. After a few seconds of hesitation, the girl suddenly handed him the letter with both her hands, trying not to show her face blushing. 

Shinji was dumbfounded by it. "Eh?!" 

Could you please deliver this to the boy who's inside the church, please? It's only been a few weeks since I've moved here from Russia, and my Japanese is not that good. I'm a bit too shy to talk to him in person!!He does not know me at all!!", exclaimed the girl, confiding to Shinji anything that was on her mind in that moment. 

The young man was astonished by the girl's words, and still he took the letter with a smile.*He must be my friend the one who she's talking about.* , Shinji thought.   
"Sure..don't worry. I'll give this to him… Is Nagisa the name of who I have to give this letter to?" 

Once Shinji pronounced that name, the girl turned to look at him again, astonished. "Do you..do you know him?", the girl asked shyly. 

Shinji nodded. "Yes. Circunstances made us be known to each other.", Shinji answered, smiling. "So, don't worry! I'll deliver it to him in person!Then I'll let you know anything that he told me about it. Is it good for you?" 

The girl blushed, even more surprised, then she nodded, smiling joyfully. "Thank you very much, Sir!"" exclaimed the girl with recognition.   
Shinji smiled again. Nothing, it's my pleasue! Who is this letter from?", he asked, inviting the girl to tell him her name. 

"My name is Kristina. Kristina Krusciov", the girl answered sweetly. 

Some minutes after 

Shinji had just into the church, fighting his way through the "human wall", which the girls on the threshold had formed. Kaworu wasn't out of suitors, for sure. After all, it had been a lot of years since they had seen each other for the last time.   
That time, they couldn't even greet each other. 

The young man made the sign of the cross as he entered the church, after he had dipped his fingertips into the holy water. 

Then he looked around himself. The church had been almost empty, except for a few old women, who were sitting on the pews, at random.   
Kaworu was there, giving him the shoulders, holding a book in his hands. Despite all the years that had passed since they met for the last time, he had not changed at all. Same old silver hair, thiny shoulders…and he resembled Rei so much that, if Shinji had not known Kaworu, he could think of him as Rei's brother. Shinji had drawn nearer, being rather embarrassed, while holding in his hand the letter Kristina had asked him to deliver. As he was moving towards the pew where Kaworu had been sitting, he could hear the girls murmuring from behind about him heading towards Kaworu. According to Shinji's percerption, his friend had not changed at all. He was always the same introvert person, who liked to stay apart from anyone, feeling at ease with loneliness. 

Shinji was slowly advancing, being a few paces away from Kaworu.Once he was near enough, he almost hesitated in asking for his attention. He was caught by an incredible sense of embarrassment, whose meaning not even he could understand. As if something inside himself restrained him form going on. He was not scared of his friend, despite he knew Kaworu was the seventeenth Angel, Tabris, one of the most powerful Angels; still, in that moment , he was only Kaworu Nagisa, a young man like him. A frale Angel, who had succeeded, ten years ago, in confiding to Shinji what he had never confessed to anyone. He was the first one to know Shinji intimately. He knew that Shinji loved Rei more than anything, before the same even Shinji became aware of it. But now it was as if someone had interposed a partition wall between them, so that they couldn't approach as they did ten years ago. This wall had been raised, as the same day Kaworu had been killed by him, at Nerv Base. 

Maybe Shinji was scared to come closer to him because of this memory. Nobody knew it, except Shinji's heart. At any reate, he couldn't force himself to take another step closer to Kaworu. He relaxed only when he saw the silver-haired man turning his face towards him slowly, then glancing at him with a focused look.   
At that sight, Shinji was startled, being almost frightened by the peaceful glance of Kaworu, whose eyes were similar to Rei's ones. 

The young man went on staring at Kaworu for some seconds, in silence. Their locked eyes were broken only when Kaworu closed his ones, smiling towards Shinji spontaneously. "Hello, Shinji", the Angel boy had welcomed him at once, ending the infinite silence which hung over the church. 

Shinji blinked with surprise, then regained his composure, shyly returning Kaworu's smile, shyly. Kaworu's glance was the same as ever: it seemed to be finding his way to human heart and penetrating into his emotions, whatever they meant. It was impossible for Shinji to camouflage his astonishment in front of that strange guy. 

"Have you noticed my presence?", Shinji asked, leaning his elbows over his knees, whil gazing at his shoes'tip moving nervously, so that his eyes did not meet Kaworu's again. Probably he was feared that his friend could dig into his thoughts. He had been wondering why he had come to talk to Kaworu about what he had not been able to tell anyone. Why to Kaworu, who frightened him so much?   
The Angel-boy nodded, looking up at the church ceiling, where some wonderful frescoes had been painted. "Yes..it's difficult not to perceive you. You're the most silent person I've ever known. Except for Ayanami." 

Shinji did not answer, he just smiled unawares, as he used to, anytime he heard someone pronouncing his beloved woman's name or surname. He got up, leaning against the back of the bench, looking up to the church ceiling in imitation of Kaworu's attitude.   
Kaworu casted a glance to Shinj's face, then he returned to look at the frescoes.   
"Shinji…I noticed a light shining in your eyes..Was it because I've mentioned the name of Rei?" 

Shinji blushed at those words. …Just as he had thought..Kaworu succeeded in reading into his human mind. After all, he shouldn't be so surprised by that.Even ten years ago, Kaworu had proved that he could get to the heart of souls.He had proved that to Rei, too, being the first person to understand Rei's true feelings towards Shinji, which not even Ayanami had confessed to herself yet. And still, he already knew of them.   
"Er..I..", Shinji said, stuttering. 

Kaworu leant his own hand over Shinj's shoulder, so that he suddenly turned.   
"You've always needed someone to talk to. I'm here, as always.", the boy answered in a resolute, but reassuring tone.   
Shinji unleashed from his own body's rigidity, and inhaled deeply. "Yes. It's true. I wanted to talk to you about Rei.", Shinji said, while Kaworu took his own hand away from his shoulder. "Sometimes we don't realize how wonderful it is to talk about what makes us happy. Maybe I didn't like to talk in the past, because I had only sad thoughts in my mind.", the young man exclaimed, gaining self-confidence again.   
"Are you happy, now?", asked Kaworu., feeling interested in Shinji's monologue. 

Shinji bowed his head. "I don't know..", he answered, sighing. "I have got the impression that my happiness won't last for long".   
Kaworu turned his eyes up again, towards the ceiling. "Your speech is a bit contradictory, isn't it? Your eyes show happiness and sadness at the same time. Lilim's emotions are often colliding." 

Shinji didn't answer to Kaworu's words, he only confined himself to nodding and bowing his head, gazing at the floor. Silence reigned again over the church, but it didn't last more than a few seconds. 

"Did you know that me and Re are going to have children?", Shinji said, lifting his glance from the floor, and looking towards the altar which was placed not distant from them. 

"This is the kind of happy news for you, Lilim's sons.."   
Shinji nodded, while smiling sweetly. "Yes. This is true. It's a good news.But..", the boy contiuned while shaking his head, "as you know, she has always been very frale. And this pregnancy is an hard experience for her. She's expecting two babies. Despite it all, she didn't look to be suffering that much. Except for the usual illness of the first three months of pregnancy, it looked like the critical phase had passed by", Shinji narrated with a sad look.   
Kaworu listend to him, standing still. "So, the critical phase has passed, then?", asked Kaworu, once he saw that Shinji had stopped to talk. 

"No, unfortunately. Two days ago, a little time while before I came back home from work, Rei was suddenly taken ill, and she fainted. And I wasn't with her." In that moment, one could see the first tears forming into Shinji's eyes, then slowly sliding down his face, in silence. "I had promised to her that we'll have faced any trouble together. And whn she needed my presence more than ever, she found herself all alone. Only in company with Faye, who had been barking continously. All this happened while I was at work! I considered myself an idiot!Why did I leave her alone, when she's carrying our babies in her womb?" After he exclaimed thos words, which echoed through the chapel walls, the young man burst into tears, hiding his face between his knees, whilr giving vent to his rage by crying. Despite Shinji's weeping being silent, still his sobs echoed through the church. Kaworu was saddened by his friend's crying and ceased to smile. The silver-haired man took a deep breath, that melted in Shinji's sobs.   
"In the Book of Genesis, God had said the woman will have given birth to one's sons among pains and troubles, while the man will have worked with discomfort and distress. Not even you can escape this law, engraved ont the Bible. Not even Rei and you…" 

Shinji popped his head up from his knees, while tears were still streaming down his face. He quickly wiped them away. "Excuse me..", the young man whispered, trying to hide his tears from Kaworu , with a big effort. 

"And…how is she now?", Kaworu asked again, after a pause of silence, without looking away from the church ceiling.   
Shinji sniffed before he answered, trying to show a smile. "Now she's good. Doctor Tsukishiro and Doctor Akagi said that it was due to a sudden fall in blood pressure, and there's nothing to be worried about..But I can't help but being worried for her!!"   
Shinji was trembling with rage and concern, while pronouncing those words. It was evident that the occurrence had upset him very much.   
Kaworu was immediately aware of it. Shinj's concern wasn't about the possibility that Rei could feel bad again. It was about a more definite question. 

"Are you scared your sons' birth will take Rei away from you?!", Kaworu asked , hesitating a bit in saying such outspoken words. 

Shinji did not reply at all. It was evident that Kaworu had hitted the centre of Shinji's fear, and now the vice-Commander couldn't admit it, founding himself face to face with the cause of his apprehension. All at once, Kaworu assumed a tone of firm determination. "Shinji..Rei will not die.", the young man abruptly answered. He had exclaimed his answer in a tone which not even a person who knew something with absolute certainty would have used. As if hs convinction was so strong making him sure about it. 

Shinji looked at Kaworu in astonishment. "How can you be so sure about it?", Shinji asked with a surprised tone.   
Kaworu glanced at Shinji and smiled at him, leaning his hand over his friend's shoulder again.   
"Shinji. Lilim's son are a gift. If you and Rei really believe you can have those sons, nobody can hamper this will of yours. Remember Shinji! The most precious thing in Lilim's nature ist the power of overcoming any trouble thanks to one's will. You gotta believe in yourself, Shinji! You gotta believe in future, and try to open the future doors with firmness and bravery, without hesitating for a moment. If you'll be resolute enough, everything will be all right.." 

Shinji did not fully understand Kaworu's words. The Angel was used to speak metaphorically, and his speech often seemed to be non-sense; just like a poem irrationally written. At any rate, those words had somehow filled him with self-confidence. Why ? At first sight, Kaworu's words looked like being said at random. Ritsuko and Yukito's ones should have reassured him much more, because of their clear thinking. Both of them were aware of the situation, since they had examined Rei when she had fainted.   
What a odd thing..still Shinji felt more reassured with Kaworu's affirmations. 

"Thanks, Kaworu!", Shinji said, while smiling at him lovingly, without even knowing what he was thanking him for.   
Kaworu returned Shinji's smile. "Just quieting down, Shinji. Your babies will be born. And Ayanami wil be always next to you. Nothing will change."   
The young man nodded. "Let's hope!", he answered, then he reminded himself of the Russian girl's letter. 

"Ah…listen to me! A girl out there asked me to give you this!", Shinji told Kaworu, giving him the letter, which he had been holding in his hands for the all time they spent talking.   
Kaworu took the letter in his hand, then he smiled once he noticed it was a love letter; one coluld have known it just by looking at its envelope, which had been sealed by a heart-shaped sticker. 

"Unbelievable..The way hwo Lilim confuse me with one of their descendants..", Kaworu said, surprised by it. 

Shinji smiled, trying to encourage his friend. "Yeah. I guess it's a good thing, isn't it?", she asked, in order to know Kaworu's thoughts. 

Kaworu sighed. "Who knows? Angels never think about such relationships." 

"You should start thinking about it. There's nothing wrong with it.", Shinji replied with a smile. 

Kaworu nodded. "We'll see." 

Shinji looked up at the huge clock, which was Louis XII style and had hung on the chapel wall.By then, the hands pointed at 19:45. The young man stood up, saying: "I have to go now. Rei'll be waiting for me, and I won't let anything happen again like what happened two days ago. I could never ever forgive myself is something even close to it would happen to her again." 

Kaworu remanied seated, holding in his hand the envelope, which had been still sealed.   
" I see. Give my best regards to Rei. And promise me you won't have a fear anymore to open the door on the future threshold.", he whispered once again. 

"And you promise me you won't disappoint the sender of this letter. She's a very sweet girl. Give her a chance, at least!", Shinji exclaimed, smiling. "She's not like the other ones you can see down there!", the young man went on, ironically, while turning to look at the group of girls, who were still besieging the huge entrance-door. 

Kaworu turned his look towards where Shinji was pointing, and the girls' emotions froze, once they became aware that the Seventeenth Angel was staring at their side. Then he turned towards Shinji again, with a smile. 

"I promise you." 

*   
  


Shinji's wristwatch pointed at eight o' clock when he finally found himself turning the handle of the door to his house. The young man hesitated to into. No noises came from inside the habitation, so that nothing testified to someone living there. Shinji recalled to his mind what had happened two days ago. But he tried to convince himself that it couldn't be that way, this time. 

"No, it would be impossible! Faye shoud have been barking.", Shinji thought, in order to encourage himself. "After all, Rei has never been a noisy person. Why should I hear noises from inside?", the young man said to himself. 

"Yes, I'm sure it's all right", he repeated to himself once again. Then he sighed and inserted the key into the lock. 

He slowly entered. A dim light was hanging over the entrance. Shinji looked out of the window, while taking his shoes off on the landing. The sun had set, night was falling.   
An other day had passed, making it one less day before January arrived, the month when Rei will have given birth to their sonsi, according to their expectations. 

Shinji silently entered the kitchen. As a rule, Hoshi was walking feline up and down the apartment, chased by her three kittens, who still couldn't but stepping clumsily, stumbling and tumbling down. But Shinji didn't mind about Hoshi. The young man carefully looked around him, but nobody seemed to be at home. Thinking of where Rei could be just upset Shinji more, despite he tried to keep his head cool. The young vice-Commander quickly but unsteadily headed towards the stairs leading to the top floor, then climbing them in a hurry. 

"Rei-chan!?Are you here?", exclaimed Shinji, when reaching the top of the stairs. 

No one replied. Shinji was worried of what happened some days ago could be repeating itself again. His right temple started to throb, at the thought he might find his young wife laying unconscious on the floor. Panic overwhelmed him, and he continued running along the top floor corridor towards the nearest door, which was the living room. 

"REI-CHAN, ARE YOU HERE?", Shinji yelled, flinging open the door, frightened.   
But the scene he saw pleased him. Rei was asleep on the couch; she had a open magazine leaning over her knees, which had probably slipped from her hand when she had fallen asleep. 

"Bau!Bau!", Faye barked in a low tone, at the foot of the couch, standing up at once in surprise.   
After he realized it was is master Shinji, he calmed down, then returned to lying on the floor. 

Shinji drew nearer, a little frightened, then he became aware that she was just asleep, and quietened, smiling tenderly. The image which showed to himself touched him terribly: Rei, his young wife, dressed in a lilac summer dress which reached her ankles, with a blue shirt under it, a little darker than the colour of her hair, which perfectly matched the tone of the living-room, bathed in dusk, of the curtains, and of the sky, whose dim light filtered through the shutters of the windows. The young man , trying to mimic Hoshi's pace as he advanced towards her wife, finally arrived near to her, and caressed her face tenderly. Then Shinji turend his look to her womb.   
Rei's belly was big , by then. After all, she was at her fifth month of pregnancy. Shinji leant his hand over Rei's womb. If he had laid his hand on her womb long enough, he could have felt the babies' movements. Shinji closed his eyes for some moments. Who knows which thoughts were running his mind? One could argue from his smile that they were positive ones. Anytime Shinji went so near to Rei, all his troubles faded, making room for good feelings. 

"Shinchan", Rei whispered all at once, in a sweet tone of voice, almost imperceptible by a human ear. The young Ikari suddenly openend his eyes, and soon afterwards he could feel Rei's hand clasping his own, which was still leant over the woman's womb. 

Rei closed her eyes again and leant her head over Shinji's shoulder, while he was continuing to caress her. After some time, she opened her eyes, and slowly stood up. "It's late, by now. I had better go and prepare dinner", she whispered , trying to sustain her belly's wheight without showing Shinji her discomfort. But Shinji noticed it anyway, and he stood up, restraining her. "No, Rei-chan! You have got to stay here and take a rest!", Shinji exclaimed, very worried, placing himself in front of Ayanami, and taking her by hands. "Ritsuko-hakase told you that you have to stay completely in rest!" 

"But…dinner..", Rei's speech was stopped by her husband who quickly replied: "Don't worry, sweetheart! I'll prepare dinner for you", Shinji exclaimed with a smile, while keeping on clasping Rei's hands.   
The young woman looked at Shinji astonished, then she softened, lifting on her feet, and sweetly kissed Shinji, who returned her kiss, as a rule, and finally embraced her wife delicately. 

"Thank you, Treasure", Rei whispered after the kiss, while smiling. 

"Thanks for nothing, Rei-chan!", Shinji went on by her turn. "Now return to sit down, please! I'll prepare dinner for us, and bring it to you at once. Do you agree?", Shinji exclaimed. 

Rei nodded. "Good!", she smiled, while continuing to caress her womb. Shinji was on the door's threshold, when he heard the bell's ring. 

"The bell?", Rei exclaimed in surprise. "Yeah, it is! Who might be at this hour?" Shinji exclaimed, slowly moving downstairs. 

Once Shinji was downstairs, he drew near the entrance door, chased by Faye who started to bark as he used to, whenever someone rang the bell. 

"Shh…Quieting down, Faye! Down!", Shinji exclaimed, getting ready for restraining the dog from jumping over the incoming guests. It was not that Faye was bad, he only wanted to play. 

The young man opened the door. "Who is it?", he asked, half-opening the door. 

"Hellooo!", exclaimed the person who was ringing the bell. She was a young girl, very tall, with long brown hair down her hips, and freckles on her nose, which was common in Horaki family. She wore a blue tailleur, with a white shirt under it, a sunny smile on her face. She was just like the girl Shinji had seen on the photograph which Kensuke had shown him two months ago. 

Despite Shinji had never seen her in person, he recognized her at once. "Nozomi. Are you Nozomi Horaki?", asked Shinji, dubiously. 

Nozomi happily took Shinji's hands and kept on shaking them."Yeah! That's right! Nozomi Nakuru Horaki! You are Shinji Ikari, aren't you? I'm so happy to meet you, at last! I've just come back from Kyoto, where I work, or better, where I worked! AH AH AH! Since I've just resigned! Those idiots won't ever see me there anymore! I found a new job here in Neo-Tokyo 3! So that I can spend everyday next to my dear Kensuke-chan, and my little treasure Musashi!! Anyway, I'm really happyyyyyyyy to meet you!", exclaimed the wild girl all in one breath, while keeping on clasping the hand of Shinji, who was staring at her with a sweatdrop over his head. 

"It's all my pleasure..", Shinji said, very surprised by the woman's exuberant personality. "Please..come into!" , he went on. 

"Waaa! Thank you very much, Shinji!! I found myself in these parts by chance, because I had gone to the Base in order to take Kensuke dinner, since he's got to work night-shift, and I prepared something for you too!",she exclaimed brightfully, coming into. 

"Who was it, Shin-chan?", Rei asked, staying at the top of the stairs. She had rushed out of the living-room, once he had heard the girl's shrill voice. 

Nozomi looked up towards Rei. "ARE YOU REI?" , she exclaimed, while climbing the stairs quickly, taking two steps at a time. 

Rei was really dumbfounded. "Yes..", the young woman whispered. 

The girl with freckles took Rei's hands, shaking them, as she did before with Shinj's ones. "So nice to meet you!!"I'm Nozomi! Nozomi Nakuru Horaki! I bet you have already heard my name!?" 

"Ehm..yes..You're Kensuke's fiancè, aren't you, Miss Horaki?", Rei asked, while a sweatdrop was hanging over her head.   


Nozomi lifted her forefinger "NO-ZO-MI!!", the girl yelled. "Just call me Nozomi! Or Nakuru, as you prefer, it's the same for me! That's right! I'm Kensuke's fiancè. Even if one can say that Kensuke is my dear husband, by now! We've already had a baby. Do you know, we like to hurry along!AHAHAH", the girl burst out into laughing, puzzling both Shinji and Rei. 

Nozomi finally regained her composure. "Oh, don't pay attention to it! I'm always this way! World looks pink to me! I just can't help but think positively!", continued the girl, while ransacking through her back, which was a totally mess.   
"Just a moment! Since I'm here, I want to give you our wedding invitation! It'll be officiated on 1st December, here in Neo-Tokyo 3.", she exclaimed joyfully, while keeping on rummaging her disordered bag. "Where did I put it?Aahh! Here it is!!", she yelled all at once, while pulling out of her bag an envelope containing their wedding invitation, and delivering it to Rei. 

"Thank you.." Rei said with a smile, still puzzled. 

"Oh..Thanks for nothing..Ah!!As I've already told Shinji, I prepared a good dinner for you! Yesterday Kensuke told me that you had felt unwell some days ago, then I thought you would appreciate a good dinner prepared by myself! I'm good enough at cooking!", she said joyfully, while pointing to the bentou which she had handed to Shinji. 

"Yes…You've been very kind, Nozomi!", Rei answered, thanking her. 

"Come on! Come on!It' only a trifle!", Nakuru went on, while gesticulating."I hope you'll like it! My little Kensuke's crazy for it!" 

"Being good at cooking seems to be a talent of Horaki family, isn't it?", Shinji said, recalling old school times, when Hikari Horaki used to prepare delicious lunches for both Touji and herself. It was the time when Touji returned to attend school, after his terrible accident on board of Eva 03 

"Yes, it is true!As from tomorrow, Kodama, Hikari and myself will work together in Kodama's restaurant. I'll prepare dinner for anyone!!HAPPY!AHAHA!" 

"^^;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;", Rei and Shinji couldn't accostum themselves to the girl's silly attitude. 

Then Nozomi glanced at Rei's womb. "Ahhh..I almost forgot it!!So you're really in the family way!!" 

Rei smiled. "Yes. It's my fifth month of pregnancy."   
"WONDERFULLLLLL!!", the young woman exclaimed. "This is the best phase of a pregnancy! Pregnancy is absolutely FANTASTICCCCC!!", she went on, literally yelling, then leaning her hand over Rei's belly. "Are they shooting for goal?", Nozom said, ironically. 

"What'", Rei answered, not grasping the meaning of Nozomi's joke. 

"I wondered if they kicked!", answered Nozomi, making her meaning clearer. 

"Oh, yes. Very often", Rei answered. 

"MMMM! KAWAIIIII! It's so amusing to feel their kicking!!", she continued, still yelling and jumping like a child at Xmas.   


"I don't think so", Rei answerd, not totally agreeing with Nozomi. 

"I'm looking forward to these babies' birth! The labour is a wonderful moment!" 

"Do you think?", Shinji said by his turn, while slowly climbing up the stairs towards Rei and Nozomi. 

"They told me it's a critical phase!", Rei answered. 

"Oh, sure! It's a bit critical phase, but it's an uniqueeeee experience!! Just think that Kensuke and I have the intention of having another child. But we've got to put it off after the wedding. The priest says that he couldn't officiate at our marriage ceremony, if my belly was in public eye.   
LET'S HOPE SHE'LL BE A FEMALE!!But I don't mind the baby's sex! The only important thing is that he has got to have all our enthusiasm and joy of lifeAHAHAHA! We have already started to think about the baby's name! They'll have an important name, for sure! As their elder brother, our Musashi-chan!" 

"But..why are we standing here? Come in, Nozomi!Make yourself at home!", Shinji exclaimed, inviting the girl to follow him in the living-room.   
  
"Oh, no..no..Sorry! I can't stay longer with you! It's too late, and I gotta go home, because in half an hour the babysitter is leaving away!", said the girl, in a sad tone. "Understood? By the way, I've been so happy to meet you!!You're so nice!!!", she continued, greeting the newly-weds by clasping their hands endlessly. 

"It was all our pleasure, Nozomi!! Come to visit us anytime you wish!You're really a nice and witty girl! Thanks a lot for invitation and dinner!", Shinji and Rei chorused, while showing her to the door. 

"Nothing..It was all my pleasur! Thanks to you for your hospitality!I'll come to visit you soon , don't worry! Do you think I'm a witty girl? You' ve got reason!Many persons say that I talk too much! But, what can I do? I'm this way! Everything looks pink to me! My mother said I started to talk when I was of five months! I could become a speaker, don't you think?Who knows? I'm still in my prime!!One can never know what is gonna happen! Sorry! I'd like to stay with you any longer to chatter , but I gotta go now! See you soon! Give my regards to everybody!Ciao Ciaoooo! GOOD BYEEE! Auf Wiedersehen!Ni-hao!", Nozomi closed the door by herself, after this last spate of words, then she went outside , jumping and singing happily. 

"She's a very strange girl, isn't she?", Shinji said. "I've never seen such a cheerful girl!" 

"Yes, it's true! But she's nice! She exudes happiness from every pore!", Rei answered. 

"Just like Kensuke, after all!They are a nice pair! Just think that she also has a mania for cameras and military models", Shinji answered. 

"Incredible!", Rei answered, looking again at Nakuru who was happily getting into her car. As soon as Rei turned, she felt Shinji touching her shoulder with his hand, tenderly. He had drawn near to her, without Rei noticing it. Shinji smiled. Rei smiled as well, whil Shinji embraced and kissed her. They stood that way for a long time, carelessly abandoning themselves to each other. 

End of the Third Chapter.   
********************Author Notes************ 

- Domou Arigatou means "Many thanks" 

- Very much thanks to Nega-Verse for the correction of this chapter, and the same thanks also to Fabychan for the translation ^_^ 

- Would you like to have a picture of Kristina? Just ask me!^__^ 

- The same as above for a picture of Nozomi Nakuru Horaki (Nakuru if you don't know, it's a character of CCSakura second serie. She's called also RubyMoon) 

- You're just thinking to ask me why Kaworu was there? Well, feel free to imagine it how do you want!^__^ I didn't explain it on the chapter 'cause I wanted just let the reader imagine it by his theories. ^__^ 

- Send critiques ( Istructive ONLY) and comments to reichan@inwind.it   
  
  
  



	4. Opening The Future Doors- 4th Chapter

opening4

Note: Totoki and Moe are from "Kimishika Iranai"   
Marie and Jean are from "Fushigi no Umi no Nadia"   
ChibiChibi is from "Sailor Moon" 

************************************************************   
Opening The Future Doors 

Fourth Chapter. Part One. 

December, the first. 2025. 08:30 PM 

By then, even Autumn was almost completely over. The terrestrial ecosystem had definitely recovered, so that many countries in the world had been the cold winter breeze during the during recent years. In spite of that, Neo-Tokyo 3 could still enjoy wonderful sunny days, typical of milder seasons. The temperature used to drop and gradually, and it was quite difficult to notice the oncoming winter, especially for the ones who lived in towns. 

Shinji Ikari, Nerv's new vice-commander was still lying in his bed. Today was his day off, so he didn't hurry to stand up. He had not even set the alarm clock, as he used to, in order to go work in time. But something seemed to disturb his rest : it was the bright sunlight which filtered through the bed-room shutters. The light just had settled upon his eyes, piercing the eyelids and and distressing him .Shinji woke up slowly, grimacing with nuisance. The young man carefully opened his eyes, and then gave a puzzled look at the source of light. He realized at once the sunrays were filtering through the shutters, and then he stood up, a little pissed off, and headed near to the window, closing the shutters for good, so that darkness reigned again over the room.   
Finally he turned towards the bed, and smiled in seeing Rei, who was still wandering in Dreamland. She was sleeping in a fetal position , while the bed sheets were in disarray, because of her and Shinji's movements during their sleep. Shinji watched at the clock, whose hands were visible even in the room's dim light   
The young man decided that he was too awake to go back to bed, and so he decided to do Rei's morning chores for once   
Since they got married, Rei was usually the one who woke up first and prepare breakfast so that her husband found all ready, when he would wake up too. But Shinji wanted to reverse their roles, for once. So he drew near his young wife, then turned down the sheets with delicacy, being careful to do it without interrupting her dreams. Rei did not notice anything; on the contrary, she went on sleeping peacefully. Shinji was staring at her *This is the decisive month, Rei-chan* , the young man thought, while smiling and slightly caressing Rei's face, as he moved her strands to the back of her ears from hanging down over her cheeks. *It's finally arrived * 

The young man stood up again, and moved away from Rei, not without regret, drawing near the door. Shinji crossed the threshold, then he cast a glance at his wife, smiling at the sight, just before shutting the door behind himself.   
Yawning all the way, he slowly went down the stairs, which would led him to the first floor.   
Once he had gone down all the steps, he headed to the right, where both the living room and the kitchen were located. The young man drew near the wall, with several photos, pictures and a calendar,whose days were all crossed out.   
He snatched the sheet dedicated to November. He felt very satisfied while doing it, because he could finally catch sight of the day he had marked as the probable birthday of their children : 26th December the day after Xmas.   
The number twenty-six had become Shinji's obsession : he always found himself scribbling it, whenever he had a pen in his hands by chance; he has often uttered it to himself, to the puzzlement of people around him; besides this, he used to smile at any occurrence when he heard other persons pronouncing it.   
After he had spent some seconds watching at his "Number of Desire", he went on walking towards the kitchen. He slowly approached the cupboard, then he opened its door, taking the tea box from the upper shelf.   
Anytime that he saw some tea packaging, it reminded him of the unforgettable experience he had lived in her wife's former apartment, ten years before, when she had succeeded in pronouncing a wish of hers, for the first time in her life, letting Shinji come in, then offering to prepare a cup of tea for him. She had tried to be kind to Shinji, as she wished she could. 

The young man felt like laughing, thinking again how clumsy he was anytime he approached Rei, in those times.. he couldn't help cutting a poor figure, according to his opinion. On the contrary, it was exactly his spontaneity and kindness, his shy but gentle manner, what had attracted Rei, who was used to meet with persons that disregarded her, either because of their fear , which was the case of her classmates ; or because of their exploitation of her , while making her cherish the illusion of their affection, which was the case of Shinji's father, for example. 

Shinji had not thought over about his father for a long time. After all, since Gendo had moved to the Mongolian Branch of Nerv, Shinji had not been missed him that much. He had understood it was useless to worry about him; he had started to understand it a long time ago, when he made his best to approach his father, who had always repudiated him.   
This had to be Ikari Gendo's twelfth and last month in Mongolia ; Shinji wondered what he was supposed to do, when he would meet his father again.   
By the time Gendo came back to Tokyo 3, he would find a completely different world. Now Shinji had set up family, since he had a wife who expected two babies.   
Gendo already knew his son had married Rei in February. Rei was one of those he had treated as if they were his destined victims.   
He had not enjoyed the news, he merely showed no interest, as usual. Shinji couldn't expect his father to be present at the wedding, because of the distance. But he expected to receive either a call or a letter from him.   
Nowadays, communication systems are ubiquitous; nevertheless, he was repaid by sheer silence from his father.   
But Shinji didn't mind anymore, by then. While growing up, he became aware that there was no need to approach a person who did not return his wish at all. He had tried to make his father change his mind about himself, for so long: but to no avail. At the and of the day, he'd given up   
After all, he knew everything about his father's crimes, which Gendo probably was still committing, in Mongolia, Who knows? 

Surely, ten years ago Shinji Ikari could have never imagined,that he would arrive at this point. He did not hate him. Gendo was still his father, in spite of all. He could not resent him, despite how his father had behaved towards himself and his mother, and also towards Rei, not to mention the way he had treated Nerv employees.   
He did not hate him, at least, and he supposed that his father did not hate him either.   
Shinji was indifferent to him, as a rule…Gendo considered him as as a stranger … anyway he didn't look like he detested his son, even from Shinji's point of view. 

By then, Shinji was the new vice-Commander. The day when he received from Nerv Command the letter which informed him about his sudden promotion , he couldn't grasp the reason why his father had chosen him. They have often met each other in the Geo-Front quarters. Why hadn't he let him know his own decision in person, instead of telling him the news by a detached formal letter?   
To tell the truth, their relationship had always been so cold that Shinji couldn't think his father would renounce his aloofness, only because he had promoted him to the rank of vice-Commander, from the task of piloting Evangelion unit 01, which the younger Ikari had been filling in the past . 

His father had been aware that he needed to go to Mongolia for a long time so he obviously intended to entrust someone with the whole Base. But why did he choose just him? Maybe he had elected him for vice-Commander by right of succession, or possibly Fuyutsuki Kozo haddesignated him as his replacement, when he had retired.   
The point was that Shinji was the new vice-Commander, and the whole Base depended on him, during Gendo's absence. 

The young man was watering the tea leaves when he felt a cold shiver running over his shoulders. He shrugged.   
"Brrr..it's cold!", he uttered.   
"Something must be open" , he said to himself, while looking around in order to check if any doors or windows were open. So it was: the door of a room at the end of the corridor was slowly opening, possibly because of a draft which was entering through some open window . 

Ikari-kun slowly headed near it, and looked inside. It was the new room, where some time ago Rei and himself he had settled the furniture they had received as a gift from all Nerv employees. It was to be their children's room. It was very odd to notice how everything looked like "was doubled" , inside there. There were two cradles, two high chairs, two beds their child would lie on while being swaddled, two sand boxes, and a lot of other stuff such as toys, babies' bottles and things like these, which were arranged over the bedside tables and the rest of the room furniture.   
The young man remained to gaze the room for some minute longer: whenever he came inside it, he couldn't go away easily 

He couldn't understand why : after all, he had seen a lot of times the same furniture or similar ones, in other persons' houses. And still he used to feel an unusual happiness, while seeing them in his own house.   
Shin-chan went over to and closed the window, removing the bright yellow curtains, then tying them up with a cord of the same color; he finally turned the handle, shutting the window tightly.   
Shinji stayed there a little more time. How beautiful that room looked to his eyes. ..Even if it was empty in that time then, because its "occupants" were not present yet, for Shinji it felt as if they were there since the day when Rei announced to him that she was pregnant.   
Shinji looked at several childish stuffed dolls, which were laying on the floor, just under the window, then he turned his eyes towards two babies' bottles that were still in their packages. Shinji smiled at the sight.. Who knows what was in his mind? Maybe not even he could have explained what he was thinking about. He surely didn't mind the confusion that much. 

Without being aware of it, he took in his hand the nearest stuffed doll; it was a little bright coloured elephant, with a puppy face. Who knows if his children would have liked it? Who knows whom they would have resembled, both physically and psychologically..   
Shinji hoped they would have resembled anyone but his father. At any rate, he knew for sure that such an occurrence would have never happen, because Rei and he would not give them reason to be like that. 

Shinji went on staring for some minutes at the little elephant, with a blank look . The only thing which could interrupt his train of thoughts was the entry of Rei-chan, who came into the room without Shinji noticing her. She had imagined that Shinji would be there, or in the kitchen. The young woman drew near Shinji slowly , without saying a word, then she hugged him by his shoulder, finally kissing him. Shinji gave himself to the soft warm sensation of her kiss, then returned Rei's hug,while turning to her. 

Finally Rei lowered her arms to clasp Shinji, while he continued embracing his wife's waist. 

"Shinchan…I imagined you were here.", Rei whispered, smiling sweetly at her husband and leaning her hands over the young man's arms. 

Shinji smiled back, then looked around the room, without leaving his grip on her. "Yeah..I'll find any pretext for coming here..", exclaimed Shinji, with a laughter.   
Rei took Shinji's hand and put it over her womb, which was quite swollen by then, given the fact that she was at her ninth month; Rei's belly almost clashed with her slight build.   
"Listen..", she whispered, in a happy tone. " Can you feel them moving?", she went on after some moments of silence. 

Shinji closed his eyes, trying to perceive the babies' movements inside her wife's womb as best he could, then he suddenly opened his eyes again, with a smile. "Yeah, I can feel them!", the new vice-Commander exclaimed joyfully.   
Rei smiled, then she bent over Shinji's chest.   
"This room will be filled up very soon", she whispered.   
Shinji nodded, while kissing Rei's hair. "It's not a long time to it, Rei-chan."   


Meanwhile at Ritsuko's house... 

"Look, Mummy! Auntie Misato's finally woken up!", exclaimed the little Tomoyo, approaching colonel Katsuragi, who had found herself sleeping in Ritusko's guest room with Kaji lying beside her still asleep. 

"Ah! It's high time she woke up!", Ritsuko playfully said, while bringing breakfast to the nearby room, where Akane and Yukito were already at table, waiting for her with impatience. 

Misato sat down on the bed, while rubbing her head. "My God..what a nap!" *YAWNNN* "Hello, Tomoyo-chan", Misato said, in a drowsy way. 

Giving a look around, she found Ritsuko standing on the threshold.   
" 'Morning!", dr. Akagi said to her friend, ironically. "You've had a good sleep, haven't you?" 

Misato yawned once again. "What are you doing, here, Ritchan?", asked, in dismay. 

"What do you mean by What are you doing here? > > Can't you remember what happened yesterday night?!", Ritsuko asked , while leaving to the nearby room. 

Misato stood up. "What?….. I can't even remember my surname, by now! How can I try to recall what's happened yesterday night?", she said , while heading towards the next room, followed by Tomoyo, who pursued her like a puppy dog.   
Katsuragi finally found her daughter eating happily together with Yukito the breakfast her friend had prepared. 

"You and Daddy draaankk two bottles of chammmpagneee, Mummy! You drunkard!!", Akane said, while Yukito took her in his arms, setting her on the big-chair that Tomoyo used when she was younger. 

"SSHH!!Akane-chan! You've just spoilt Auntie Ritsuko's trick!", the doctor said in disappointment . 

Akane brought both her hands in front of her mouth, with a worried expression. "Iiihhh! Sciiorryyyy!" 

"I see..I can remember..Yesterday Kaji and I have just hit the bottle, haven't we?", Misato whispered, slowly regaining lucidity. 

"To be honest, we all have hit the bottle!", doctor Tsukishiro uttered. "Aah!Ritchan , Honey ! Your white coffee tastes so good!", he went on, returning to dunk the biscuits in the white coffee, joyfully. 

"Uncle Yukiii! You're right! My Mummy's not good at preparing it, on the contrary!", Akane-chan exclaimed, offending Misato, without being aware of it. 

"AKANEE! What do you mean by Mummy's not good at preparing it?? > > "; Misato yelled, furiously. 

"Whaf, Muffy??", Akane asked, while chomping a biscuit. 

"What do you mean WHAT ? > >?", Misato yelled again. 

"She's definitely awake…", Ritsuko whispered , sipping her coffee. 

"M..Mummy! But it's true! Daddy used to say it too" the child went on. 

"Mm…what did Daddy use to say?", Kaji whispered, popping out behind Misato, with a drowsy look on his face. 

"GRRRR! I don't know what Daddy used to say, but Mummy says she's gonna kill you!!", Misato yelled in angry, while grabbing the drowsy unaware secret agent's neck. 

"Eeeh..what's wrong with you, Misa-chan?Why are you angry at me?", Kaji said in dismay, while his wife was keeping on shaking him. 

"Don't be so dumb, Kaji! You know what's with me!!" 

"I've got it! I've got it", Kaji said, being sure he had found her problem. "Are you hungry? Do you want some beer?" 

"You think you're funny, you idiot..?". Kaji's words had made colonel Katsuragi even more angry at him. So she started again to shake her husband again. 

"WICKED!! A WRESTLING MATCH!!", Akane joyfully yelled, being amused at watching her mother hitting her father.   
Misato was obviously pretending to beat him… 

Finally Katsuragi went to sit down, still pretending to be angry at Kaji, only to make him apologize to her. "You're always so ungrateful!"   
  
Being quite dumbfounded because of Misato's morning outburst, Kaji sat down next to her , showing even more puzzlement than before, then and continuing to look at her wife, who was still in a huff, while sipping her white coffee. 

He finally looked at the others. "Does anybody know what's wrong with her?", he asked.   
Ritsuko, Yukito and the two children burst out laughing. "You'd better not ask anymore!", Yukito answered, while laughing. 

About an hour after, everybody was done with breakfast, and Misato was helping Ritsuko with the washing up. 

"Given the fact that both of us have got to go to a wedding, tonight, and Shinji allowed all the Base staff to have the day off for the occasion, why don't you stay for lunch?", dr. Akagi suggested, arranging the cups on the dish rack. 

Misato turned the sink tap off, her hands still wet. "Thank you for inviting us, Rit-chan..but..I don't know..", Misato answered, while wiping her hands. "The dresses for the wedding are at my home, and…" 

"Come on, Misato! I think Kaji could go and get your dresses after lunch, so we can go to the weddings all together!", Ritsuko insisted joyfully, trying to convince her friend. 

Misato let herself be convinced by Ritsuko's words. "All right..", she whispered with a smile. "But you'll be my guests, next time!", Misato went on, in a menacing tone. 

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!", a terrifying yelling echoed through Tomoyo's room, followed by the noise of things tumbling. 

Misato recognized her daughter's voice. "Aaaaaahh!! What is Akane yelling for, this time?", she cried out, very angry 

"I guess we'll know soon", answered Ritsuko, since she heard Akane draw near the kitchen in a hurry. 

"Mummyyyyy!!!", Akane yelled, standing on on the threshold. She looked like a lady-in-waiting, wearing an elegant fuchsia dress: it reached her ankles, and was filled with ribbons and laces; the bodice and skirt's borders were decorated with stylish golden appliques.   
"Mummyyyy! Look at what Tomoyo made me weeeeeear" , the child said, running towards her mother. 

"Akane-chan!! You look so pretty in a dress like this!", exclaimed Misato. 

Ritsuko burst out laughing, imagining the scene, when Tomoyo popped out from the kitchen door , wearing an azure dress resembling Akane's one in all respects, except for its size and colour. 

"Auntie Misato! Tell Akane-chan that she looks so good in this dress!", Tomoyo exclaimed. "She looks like a Princess!", dreamily she went on, joining her hands, . 

Misato caressed Tomoyo's hair. "Congratulations, Tomoyo-chan! You're so good at making dresses!", said the Colonel joyfully. In the background, Akane-chan had finished untying her pig tails, removing the bows which fastened them. Finally she crossed her arms, disappointed by the fact that her own mother had not supported her. 

Tomoyo blushed and brought her right hand to her face. "Thank you very much, Auntie Misato! Sewing has always been my passion!" 

"Definitely unlike her mother!", Risuko said, while arranging the last cup left on the dish rack."I can't even sew a button on!" 

"Mummyyyyy! PHEW! I WWANT to play FOOTBALL!", Akane protested, stamping her feet on the floor. 

Tomoyo was astonished, while bringing her hands to her face. "What are you saying, Akane? Football is a game for boys!" , she exclaimed in a saddened tone of voice. "Why don't we play princesses?", she continued, catching the child's hands. 

"Nooooo!! Let's play Football!", Akane retorted. 

"But I want to play princesses!", the elder child insisted. As a last resort, she even spun round, trying to incite Akane to play her favourite game. 

Akane raised her forefinger. "Then we shall play princesses who are playing football!"   
  
The two women burst out laughing, at Akane's odd expedient.   
"Akane! You're always the same!", ended Ritsuko . 

Tomoyo resolved to indulge Akane's oddity. "All right! So we'll play princessess who're playing football!", Tomoyo allowed, taking Akane-chan by hand and leading her to the play room. 

Misato smiled, while looking at Tomoyo rushing to the play room together with her best friend's daughter. She finally shook her head, turning to Ritsuko. "My daughter is definitely a tomboy", Katsuragi whispered, in a sweet tone. 

Ritsuko smiled. "Tomoyo has always been obsessed with elegant dresses, princesses, fairies….She's very happy today, 'cause on the occasion of Nozomi and Kensuke's wedding, she can finally wear the light-blue dress I bought her the other day."   


Misato sighed, while tying her hair, using the band she always encircled her forearm with, finally arranging her tresses in a low tail. 

"I can foresee Akane's complaints when I'll have to make her wear her elegant dress. She literally hates those kinds of clothes. Everytime she has to dress elegantly, I'm in trouble!". 

"Eehhh… Don't you miss the times when we were newly-weds? No whims, nothing to worry about…", Ritsuko said ironically. 

Suddently she remembered to tear the November page of the calendar. 

"Another month has gone by..yesterday had been six years since Tomoyo was born, and eight since Yukito and I were married." 

"Yeah..You know .. This children-mania looks like it's infected everyone, don't you think? If I'm not right this is the month when Rei and Shinji will become parents, isn't it?", Misato asked. 

"Yeah..On December 26th, it will be their turn!", Ritsuko uttered, noticing that she had already marked in red on the kitchen's calendar the likely birth-day for Rei and Shinji's sons. 

"I can't believe our pilots have grown-up to become parents as well..", Misato whispered, while leaning her back on the edge of the kitchen furniture, just next to the wall-calendar. 

"It looks strange to me too, do you know?It seems like yesterday when Shinji, Rei and Asuka fought the Angels aboard the Eva Units.", Ritsuko said, throwing the expired calendar sheet on the rubbish. 

"At the right time! It's the nine month for Rei, isn't it? Do you know if she's gonna have two boys or two girls?", Katsuragi asked 

Dr. Akagi smiled, turning to her friend. "Both!A boy and a girl!" 

"Are you serious? Wonderful!" Misato yelled gaily 

"Yeah, it is! But, shut up, please! Rei didn't want to be informed about the children's sex during the last ultrasound she underwent." 

Misato was amazed at it. "Really ?" Why? Does she prefer the surprise?" 

"Well..possibly..But..I had the impression that Rei.." Ritsuko's look became thoughtful, all at once.   


*FLASHBACK* 

------------------------ 

"Doctor Akagi..I'd rather not to know before hand if I'll give birth to two boys or girls" Rei had uttered these words, after a pause of silence which had been preceded by Ritsuko's joyful statement: she could finally establish the babies' sex. 

Ritusko turned to the young mother, looking rather dismayed. "Why would you rather not know it in advance, Rei-chan?", she asked. "Aren't you curious to find out their sex?" 

Rei shook her head, whit a slight smile. "Nope. It's not that I'm uninterested.I'm   
looking forward to seeing them, but I'd rather know all about them just at the moment of their birth. I do not want anything to be planned before they're born". So speaking, the young woman watched at the ultrasound display, exploiting of the fact Dr. Akagi had not yet removed the sensor from her womb; she stared at the two outlines, which had finally assumed the proper form of two babies, being cuddled up next to each other. 

Dr. Akagi didn't try to dissuade Rei from her resolution, on the contrary she smiled at her, as a token of encouragement. " All right..Rei-chan. If it's your choice, I won't tell you. Maya too did not want to know before time if her childwould be a male either or a female. Surprise is a great thing, isnt' it, Honey?" 

Rei nodded. "Yup. So to speak, I'm expecting the surprise too." Almost invisible tears sparkled into the young woman's eyes, as if she was recalling something unpleasant, just in a beautiful moment like that. 

*END FLASHBACK* 

------------------------ 

Misato crossed her arms. "I guess I understand what was impeding Rei's natural curiosity." 

Ritsuko nodded. "At the time when Gendo created the Dummy System… or better, even before he built it ... we already knew every slightest detail about Rei I think Rei wouldn't give her children the same treatment at all." 

"I see.. I can remember that time. But it'd be better not to recall a shame like that, hanging over the Nerv's reputation ." Misato stated, with sorrow. " And what about the birth of the children? Will you take care of it ?" Colonel asked averting her mind from Nerv's misdeeds, by changing the topic of their conversation. 

Ritsuko looked away from the emptiness, which was reminding her of the horrible past. Then she nodded again, turning towards her friend, with a smile on her face. "Of course. I guarded Rei since her first months of pregnancy, and I promised her I would be beside her at the moment of the child birth." 

"Well done. I think it's very important for Rei-chan to feel someone's friendly presence next to her, given the fact that she won't be able to have Shinji with her." 

"Aahh.. er…Sorry for interfering in your womanish conversation, but…", Kaji uttered, snickering while he made his entrance a hand on his head. "Misato-chan. Which clothes am I supposed to wear tonight?", he asked 

"Why do you ask me? The last one I bought you, it's obvious, isn't it? That is the dark blue tuxedo with the bordeaux tie!", Misato cried out, trying to make her husband figure which dress she was adressing to. 

"Aaahh! I got it!", Kaji averred. "But the shirt is still at the laundry! Do you remember? It stained at Maya's child's baptism." 

"Why don't you put the new one on?", Ritsuko suggested, interfering in the conversation. "If I remember correctly, you took the shirt as well, when you bought the dress , didn't you?" 

"Nope. I gave the shirt back to the shop, because it was tight on him, and I changed it with a shirt for Akane, which she's supposed to wear this night, by the way." 

"Ahh..So you've got to go to the laundry today, to get it back!" 

"Yup! Makoto's not available. I'll have to go by myself!" 

Misato crossed her arms, angry. "Hmmmph! That Makoto! He choose the wrong time for his honeymoon with the laundry owner's daughter!!" 

"Yeah..It was so convenient for us..He lived right in front of our favourite laundry, and it suited us to carry our clothes there! And now, I'll have to go myself by car to pick it up!" 

"You'd better hurry up, Sweet Heart! It's already half past eleven!", his wife informed him, watching at the clock. 

Kaji snorted, leaning his hands on his hips. "Ok..I'll go and prepare myself for going out."Kaji said. "See you later, beautiful ladies" Kaji left of them, with a hint of irony. 

"Bye, Kaji-chan, and remember to shave!", Misato recommended him, while Ritsuko could not help but laughing in seeing Misato who still used to give her husband a reminder about having a shave. 

"Ok..ok..I won't forget it!", Kaji promised, on the verge of shutting the door. 

"WHHHAAAAATTT???", Akane-chan yelled, popping out dressed in another princess dress made by Tomoyo, who chased her little friend. Ryouji's daughter madly ran towards her father. "DADDDYYY! I want to come with youuuu!", Akane cried out, while jumping around Kaji, in order to beg him to take her in his arms. 

"Aka..Akane…what's up with you?", Kaji whispered, taking her daughter in his arms, while noticing her face was covered with an avalanche of make-up, not to speak of her quite unusual attire. 

Akane was too busy trying to reach her goal, so she didn't hear her father's question. "Pleaseeeee, Daddyyyy! Take me with youuuu!", the child pleaded, grabbing her father's neck. 

"Are you leaving me alone, Akane?", Tomoyo sadly murmured sitting disconsolate on the floor. 

"But you're supposed to come with us, Tomoyoooo!! So Daddy 'll buy candies for both of us!!", Akane-chan exclaimed gaily. 

Tomoyo cheered up. "Are you really? May I come as well, Uncle Kaji?" 

Kaji landed Akane on the floor. "Yes, if Mummy agrees.", the man answered. 

"Mummy, May I?", Tomoyo implored. 

Ritsuko nodded in agreement. "All right, you may go..Just don't make Uncle Kaji get mad with you, Tomoyo-chan!", Ritsuko granted. 

"HURRAHHH!", Tomoyo and Akane chorused. 

"So I am supposed to bring them with me, then?", Kaji addressed the two women. Both of them nodded with approval. 

"Yeah, it's all right.. Just be careful, keep your eyes on them!", Misato warned him. "Not a month had passed by since Akane-chan got on a bus, taking advantage of our inattention; if we hadn't noticed it, who knows how the thing would have ended! 

Kaji snickered while an enormous sweatdrop formed over his forehead. "Er… I can remember..I' ll be careful, don't worry! I won't take my eyes off her. Now, you' d better go and dress yourself according to the third century style!", he suggested, finally closing the kitchen door behind himself, and carrying the energetically happy children with him. 

Early afternoon, another place in Neo-Tokyo 3.   
A young woman of about 24 years, whose hair was arranged in two pig-tails, fastened in the same way a junior high student would, was nervously stamping the ground , as if she was waiting for someone's arrival, while holding in his arms a baby of seven months, who was having fun by trifling with the woman's tails. 

"Nooo! Musashi-chan, sweet heart! Please, don't pull Auntie Hikari's hair, ok?" the young woman told the child off, while trying to move her head away from his hands. 

"DaHa", Musashi-chan giggled, then he happily renewed his efforts to grasp his aunt's pony-tails. 

"AHI! Musashi-chan! Please leave my hair alone'!" , Hikari yelled again, removing the baby's fingers from her maltreated hair. "Here!", she said all of a sudden, while sitting the child on the floor, next to his haphazardly scattered toys. "What about playing with your little horse,uhn?", she proposed, bowing towards the baby, suggesting the child entertain himself with his gummy and stuffed dolls. 

"Gaaah", Musashi moaned in protest, since he saw his young Auntie stand up and stop playing with him. 

Hikari lowered her look. "What else do you want now, Musashi-chan?", Hikari asked the baby, who was heading over to her on all fours. His gaze met Hikari's', which bent down to meet Musashi's eyes. The child smiled at seeing his Auntie curiously worried, then he finally giggled, while lifting his own arms as a cue that could serve as a signal to Hikari, to take him in her arms again. 

Hikari snorted, while bowing to pick Musashi up in her arms. "Musashi-chan, you can't keep still a moment, uhn? You're identical to your mother, in every respect, she uttered, letting the child sit down on her arms. Hikari lifted her look up towards the upper floor and exclaimed in a loud voice: "Kodamaaa! How long does it take to Nozomi to be ready??" 

After some moments, another childish voice echoed from the upper floor. It looked like belonging to a six or seven years old child. "She's almost done, Auntie Hikari!", the child answered. 

"Mummy is just finishing to arranck Auntie Nozomi's veil!", soon after two childsh voice chorused. They must be two young girl's voices chorused. 

"The right word is arrange, you dummy", the kid, who had answered first, corrected them. 

"That's what we said, isn't it? Arranck!", the two twins went on, with perfect synchrony. 

"Moe, Marie, you are not even able to speak!", the kid teased them, scoffingly. "Baka Moe! Baka Marie!", he went on , as if intoning a familiar monotonous chant. 

"Mummyyyyy! Totoki's making fun of us!", the two twins reported to their mummy in unison, begging her support. 

"Totoki, stop making fun of your sisters! They are so young that it's quite obvious they miss the words correct pronunciation. You did it too when you were the same age they are now." 

"But..Mummy! It was only a joke! It's not fair! You always defend them!", the elder child retorted. 

"Totoki, dear, just don't talk nonsense.. I use to defend them because you are the one who started the whole thing, by making fun of them.", the eldest of Horaki sisters explained. Her name was Kodama, and she was thirty. Just then she was trying to keep the children away from the room where she was helping her sister Nozomi to put on her white wedding dress.   
Hikari Nozomi was getting ready for her wedding, which would be that very afternoon.   
She was carefully looking at herself in the mirror, while her sister was fastening the bridal veil with several clips and pins, taking care she didn't disrupt her sisters' hairdo. 

Totoki looked around himself, noticing that one of his three sisters was absent, despite the fact that two twins were there, sitting on the floor. "Mummy, where's Chibi-Chibi?", the eldest son doubtfully asked her mother, addressing her younger sister by calling her "Chibi-Chibi". 

"Chibi-Chibi's sleeping, Treasure", his mother answered, keeping on arranging Nozomi's wedding dress veil and ribbons as best she could. 

The dark-haired child, the one who had taken after his mother in their family, snorted. "Mummy! Ugh! Why did you make three sisters for me? I want a little brother! Moe and Marie never let me play with me, whereas , Chibi-Chibi is far younger than me!", the child sulked , while sitting down on the floor. 

Nozomi was the one who answered to him. "To-chan! What are you complaining about?Another baby will be born within a couple of months. Who knows? Possibly, it will be your little brother's turn!" 

The child kicked one of the toys scattered on the room floor, then he snorted once again."If it would be another little girl, I'll go and live at someone else house." 

The blonde child with freckles on her face and a bobbed hair, averted her attention from the games she was playing with her sister. "Yes Mummy! She'd like to go and live at doctor Akagi's house, because she likes her daughter Tomoyo-chan!" 

"That's true! That's true!", called out the other twin, the one with the pony-tails, supporting her sister. "He blushes head to toe, anytime he catches sight of her!", she went on, causing her brother to blush furiously. 

"Aaahh..", Auntie Nozomi snickered maliciously. "There's already a little girl whom you like, uhn?", she insinuated. 

"It's not true. Not at all!", Totoki retorted. 

"Come oonnn!!You've blushed head to toe!", her mother exclaimed, while looking at Totoki's image reflected by the mirror she had in front of herself. 

Marie and Moe stood up , leaving behind the dolls and the other toys they were playing with. 

"Nee-chan! Let's go and say it to Auntie Hikari!!!", Moe said spitefully. 

Marie nodded, taking her sister by her hand. "Yeeess!", she yelled, heading rushing towards the stairs, followed by her sister. "AUNTIE HIKARIIIIIII! Listen at what Totoki's said!!" 

"Childreenn!! Please, don't yell like this! Chibi-Chibi's sleeping!", their mother, sorrowful. 

"Chibi-Chibi! KAWAIII!What a nice name you chose for your daughter!", Nozomi exclaimed, bringing her hands to her face, while thinking over it joyfully. 

At the end of the day, Kodama's worry was proven right . The room's half-closed door slowly opened, and a child of about two years popped out of it. Her hair was red, and gathered in two delicious high pony-tails, arranged so that they looked heart-shaped, hanging down like curls. By looking into her eyes, one could notice she was still drowsy and dumbfounded, which meant she had been woken up in the middle of her nap. 

"Chibi-Chibiiiii", the child said with a low broken voice, being on the verge of crying, while carrying a stuffed tiger,which was almost bigger than her. 

Kodama sighed.. "What I expected has finally happened!", she said, neglecting for a moment her sister's veil, to draw near her younger daughter, preventing the child from bursting out crying, as she used to, whenever she was woken with a start. 

Kodama took her in her own arms and quickly caressed her face, with a smile. "Poor Chibi-Chibi, my Treasure! Your nasty brothers were those who woke you up, weren't they?", she uttered, trying to calm down the child. 

Chibi-Chibi nodded, while rubbing her own eyes. Kodama brought her daugther to her sister . 

"Would you keep her in your arms, while I'm finishing to arrange your dress, please? " , Kodama asked, handing the child to her sister Nozomi. 

"SUUUUUUREEEE! COME HERE TO AUNTIE NOZOMI, CHIBI-CHIBI!", Nozomi exclaimed, while leaning Chibi-Chibi on her own knees. In the meanwhile Kodama came back to put in order the wedding dress veil. 

"Which barbe did your husband Jean went go to?", Nozomi asked 

"The same as KenFuke!", Kodama answered, keeping in her mouth the last hairpins remained to be placed in her sister's hair. 

"Really?" Both of them will be very handsome, for sure!!" 

"All three,you mean! Touji too went along with them", Hikari added, coming into the room all of a sudden, pursued by the two gossipy twins, Moe and Marie, and by their elder brother, Totoki. 

"Ah!Hikari-chan! You're here!", Nozomi observed."Where's Musashi-chan?" 

"I've already finished to feeding Musashi-chan with his baby-bottle, and he's asleep like an angel by now.", Hikari said with satisfaction. 

"Assuming that these rascals won't make such a racket that he'll wake up, as Chibi-Chibi did.", Kodama said ironically, while looking at Chibi-Chibi, who was on the verge of falling asleep again, in Nozomi's arms , on that occasion. 

15:30 PM 

"Phew! Hair gel is almost done" Shinji said, while standing in front of the bathroom mirror. He was finishing to putting his hair in order with his fingers. 

Shinji Ikari, 25 years old. His birthday had been the last June. Ten months ago, he had married the woman who had always been to him the most important person on the earth, since the time he was still a young man of fourteen. She had always represented his only reason to live. 

That very day, he had to go to an old friend's wedding. Kensuke would marry Nozomi, in the afternoon.   
The young man luckily succeeded in arranging his hair with the little amount of hair gel left. Then he tightened more firmly the black tie's knot, under his elegant white shirt collar.   
He finally went out of the bathroom, turning off the light then shutting the door behind him. He headed towards the living room which was the room just after the corner. 

There was a young woman sitting down on the couch, who was playing with Hoshi's grown-up kittens, whose names were Tenshi, Sakura, Midori and Momo. She wore a long light-blue pinafore, which reached her knees; it was the same colour of her smooth hair, which hung down on her neck. One could have noticed, at first sight, that she was pregnant. Shinji couldn't help but staring at her. She was so spontaneous, while tickling the kittens under their chins and on their bellies; they rubbed themselves against her, purring all time. Rei's other hand was constantly on her light-blue satin dress, caressing her swollen womb, which did not succeed in spoiling the young woman's outline delicious harmony, in spite of all. 

"Rei-chan?", Shinji asked for Rei's attention, suddenly. She turned towards him   
with an inquiring look, then she smiled."Are you ready, Shin-chan?" . She slowly stood up from the couch. He drew near to her. 

"You're so elegant, today.", she said with a hint of irony, while arranging her husband's jacket. Shinji smiled. "You too are so charming, Mademoiselle..", Shinji answered, as if he was playing in an old-time drama, speaking to his wife in a formal tone. 

Rei smiled and pressed close to Shinji's chest, taking care that she wouldn't crease her elegant, sky-blue, satin pinafore . Under it she wore a creamy blouse with long sleeves and rolled up cuffs. 

In the same way, Shinji embraced her, leaning his hand over Rei's shoulders. He wore an elegant black tuxedo, which perfectly matched the black tie, whereas his white shirt served to break the monotonous darkness. 

Rei released herself from Shinjj's hug only when she heard the long case clock in front of herself striking half past three.   
"We'd better go now, Shin-chan. The wedding's supposed to start at 15:45, and we' ll be late unless we hurry up", Rei pointed out, looking at Shinji with a smile on her face. 

Shinji nodded and smiled back. "Yeah. We'd better go." Finally, both of them headed towards the front door. 

End of the Fourth Chapter-First Part 

************ 

Many thanks to Faby-chan (shinchan@inwind.it) for this translation!^_^   
And many thanks to my American friend Jason Carter (jmc159@hotmail.com) for all the english corrections!^_^THANKS REALLY VERY MUCH!^_^   
And do not forget to rewiev!!^___^ 

Rei-chan   
  



	5. Opening The Future Doors- 4,2 Chapter

  
Browse | Just In | Directory | Columns | AuthorTitleSummary Log In | Register -- Help | TOS | Flavors | Credits 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------   
Home >> Anime >> Evangelion >> Opening The Future Doors storyid: 287167 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------   
  
Author: Rei-chan - G - English - Drama - Reviews: 26 1. Opening The Future Doors- 1st Chapter2. Opening The Future Doors- 2nd Chapter3. Opening The Future Doors- 3rd Chapter4. Opening The Future Doors- 4th Chapter5. Opening The Future Doors- 4,2 Chapter 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

opening42 Opening The Future Doors   
4th Chapter- Part II   


December the 1st, 2025. 11:30 pm.   
  


The banquet, which had taken place on the occasion of Kensuke and Nozomi's wedding, was almost finished. Dinner had been served, consisting of several courses, including wedding cake and champagne. Nevertheless, The guests didn't appear tired at all, except for the children: some had fallen asleep in their parents' arms, others had sat down on chairs while most of them were still sharply awake, being entertained by a few hotel employees in the next hall of the Big Hotel. At the end of the day, the reception would have only begun to be far from over. The newly-weds were the first to consider the party to be far from its close.   
In fact,Kensuke and Nozomi-Nakuru were enthusiastically ordering champagne for themselves and their guests while drowsy waiters hastened to serve them, pretending not to look exhausted. It goes without saying that absolute chaos was reigning over the hall; for example, there were those who had been drinking harder than the rest, like Misato and Kaji… 

They were two of the most noisy guests that very night, splitting their sides laughing, accompanying any sentence with a glass of champagne; one drink led to another,and so on... 

All that was happening under Ritsuko's disconsolate glance. She was staring at the scene in disbelief, sighing all time, while trying to make the drunk married couple realize that their jokes and personal affairs probably didn't concern those sitting at the next table: so, it was not required from them to yell like that! 

Ristuko's word were obviously ineffective… 

"Come on, Dear! let them enjoy themselves!" Yukito exclaimed, encircling her wife's shoulders. "Would you like another piece of cake?", he asked, while a   
waiter served him with the third helping of wedding cake he had asked for. 

"No, thank you! I had enough food….after all that they had served us for dinner this night!", dr. Akagi answered.   


"I see, Rit-chan! You're always careful about your figure! As for me, I never gain weight!" ! If only I absorbed all that I usually eat, you'd have an elephant as your husband!", he said, while bringing a forkful of cake to his mouth. 

Ritsuko burst out laughing, thinking that Yukito always managed to make her smile. 

"*Ich* YESSSSSS!!!Ritsuko's always been obsessed over her figure*Ich*", Colonel Katsuragi interfered, slowly articulating her words,even though she was often interuppted by her hiccups, which testified to her inebriation. Her face had turned scarlet, her lips drawn back in a mischievous grin. 

  
Kaji looked more sober than his wife. At least, he wasn't hiccuping, and was somehow restraining himself from talking non-sense, and he had refrained from pouring out another glass of champagne for himself.   


Rei and Shinji were still there, sitting at their assigned table, together with Touji and Hikari, who were who were continuing to drink, though, though they seemed more self-controlled than the afore-mentioned couples. 

" My sister Nozomi is the portrait of happiness!", Hikari uttered ecstatically, while gazing at her sister laughing, toasting, hugging and kissing Kensuke. 

"Your sister's the portrait of happiness all the time!", Shinji averred. "Isn't she, Rei-chan?" 

"Yeah, you're right", she answered, with a smile. 

"He looks so happy! Mister Aida!", Touji said with a hint of irony, staring joyfully at his friend Kensuke, who was in high spirits, kissing his wife. 

Actually, Nozomi still behaved gracefully, despite the precious dress she was wearing. She couldn't help showing her brisk personality, giving the party an unusual tone. 

Still that night would lead to something else, an uncommon case indeed.   


Rei Ayanami was the only one who was not overcome by gaiety. Perhaps, she couldn't help but being that way. 

Her forehead was covered in sweat and her glance showed fear and anxiety more visibly, as time went by. 

By looking at her demeanour, one could argue she wasn't well. Her stomach had hurt for about half an hour; in the beginning it was bearable, yet, as time passed, her pain became harsher ; it was gradually strengthening its grip on her, as she had never experienced before. Rei wondered what had happened to herself. She was scared, not only about herself, but also about Shinji's reaction, when he'd realize her sudden discomfort.   


*Maybe* she thought *it will be over by itself, within a few minutes..* Rei,still trying to bear the pain, rested her hand on her aching womb,hiding her hand from Shinji's view so as to not spoil his pleasure at the celebration. So she closed her eyes and inhaled heavily, making a great effort to relax, while she leant against the back of her chair. 

But it was useless, because the pain had not diminished, it had grown worse! She looked at Shinji, who was sitting next to her, taking a picture of Touji and Hikari standing happily next to the newly-weds. She yearned to tell him about her trouble. Yet she didn't, being concerned about Shinji's possible response. 

Touji and Hikari went back to sit down, Shinji having already photographed them together with the newlyweds. 

" Ehi, folks! Great party, isn't it?", Touji yelled, while sitting down. "What about having some more drinks?" 

"Touji!! You don't really intend to get drunk, don't you??", Hikari retorted, in her intimidating way. 

"Uhm…all right, all right! I'm gonna have only some soft drinks, ok?", Touji said, not without annoyance. 

"That's good! I thought so..!", said Hikari sister, crossing her arms, with an authoritarian attitude. 

"Sounds good , Touji.. I agree with Hikari on this point.", Shinji said. He was starting to think the same way as Hikari about the alchohol matter, given the fact they had really been guzzling during the last few hours. Shinji turned towards Rei, asking her: "What drink would you prefer , Rei-chan?" Shinji hardly had time to finish his question before he noticed that something was wrong with Rei 

"Rei-chan!!", he yelled, alarmed by the state she was in. And he wasn't the only one to be alarmed. Touji and Hikari were quite frightened too. 

"Are you all right, Sweetheart?" 

Shinji hurried to support her wife, lifting her head up; then, leaning his hand on her cheek, he started caressing it. She endeavoured to smile,in order not to further frighten even more Shinji and his friends. 

"N..no..Shin-chan..I'm all right. I'm tired, that's all..Aah!". Rei couldn't feign composure in front of Shinji. He hastened to hold up her by her shoulders, just before she bent her knees, in pain. Shinji was definitely scared, so that his panic infected Hikari and Touji, who were trying just then to screen the whole scene from the other guests, in order to restrain apprehension from spreading throughout the hall. When the pang had subsided, Shinji moved his chair to Rei's : rested her head on his shoulder, taking a deep breath. Shini caressed Rei's shoulder, then he hugged her. "Rei-chan! What's with you?", Shinji yelled, losing his own control. 

Rei slightly shook her head, answering in a faint voice. "I don't know, Shinchan, My stomach hurts badly and…" 

Seeing Rei's effort to talk, Shinji stopped her, by saying in a reassuring tone: 

"Ssshh.. Stop it, Rei-chan. Please, you must not talk anymore." After this, Shinji quickly kissed Rei on her cheek, and tried somehow to look as calm as possible, for Rei's sake. 

"Rei-chan, Dr. Akagi is right there. I'm gonna ask her for help, all right? I'll be back soon!" 

Rei reached for Shinj's hand. Once she found it, she clasped it tightly. 

"Shinchan...forgive me..I wouldn't bother you ever!" 

"Rei-chan…" Words didn't come easy to Shinji. He looked into her eyes, so tenderly. Rei's visage seemed to soften. After this, Shinji quickly stood up, leaving Rei with Touji and Hikari, who sat beside her . 

"Rei-chan.. Please, calm down.", Hikari whispered in a sweet manner, while shifting a few bangs from Rei's sweaty forehead 

"Everything's gonna be all right!", Touji added, as an encouragement to his former classmate   


"What's happening down there?",wondered Kensuke,amid laughter. He became aware of a certain bustle around Shinji and Touji's table, which Nozomi noticed as well. In order not to creat chaos, which could have spoiled the whole party, Kensuke kept silent, while his continuing to watch Shinji's moves. 

Dr. Akagi quickly stood up from her assigned table. "Don't worry, Shinchan. I'm going to have a look at Rei at once. Yukito and I are here, don't worry.", Dr. Akagi said, while resting her hand over Shinj's shoulder.   


Shinji nervously nodded, making an effort to regain his composure. "Thank you, Dr. Akagi. Thank you very much."* 

Given the case, Misato and Kaji unexpectedly came down to earth, almost overcoming their drunkenness, which had almost overwhelmed them 

Misato stood up from her chair, then she approached Shinji, searching in her smiles collection to find her most reassuring one. "Shinchan. You gotta encourage her, do you know what I mean? You gotta be strong for her, and stay next to her!", Misato urged him. Her intention was to hearten him, first of all. 

Shinji nodded, showing a shy , half-forced smile. "I'll try…", he answered, hesitantly. 

Misato shook her head, then lifted her forefinger."No! No! You must not try! You've got to do it!", Misato went on, ruffling Shinji's hear, as if he were a child.   
Kaji stood up and joined their conversation, while taking his daughter in his arms. 

Some minutes ago , one of the organisers , who had entertained the children in the downstairs hall, had handed him Akane, together with Tomoyo. The babysitter told Kaji the little girls had fallen asleep on the couch where they had been playing and watching anime videotapes. 

"Misato's gotta reason, Shinji. Just remember Rei's the person who will give you the best moments of your life.", Kaji whispered, quietly and yet intensely. 

"Kaji-san…", Shinji had carefully listened at his words. Ryouji smiled. "You'd better go back to Rei-chan, she's waiting for you. Follow Ritchan!"   


Shinji regained his self-control, bending his head in assent. 

"Ritchan, do you want me to come with you?", questioned Yukito, turning to his wife. 

"Dear, don't trouble yourself. I can handle it. Please, look after Tomoyo-chan. If I shall need your help, I'll call you." 

Having smiled at them brightly,Dr. Akagi left Yukito and her own daughter, who had fallen asleep in her father's arms. The doctor headed towards Rei's table, with Shinji proceeding behind her. 

"Rei-chan! How're you?", Ritsuko asked lovingly, while sitting next to Ayanami. 

Rei-chan was panting."Dr. Akagi. I can't understand what's happened to me..all of a sudden..", she whispered, frightened. She was trembling all over. 

"Ssshh.. Calm down, Rei-chan. It's all right. Just relax", Ritsuko cheered Rei, while smiling at her. Then she started to feel her womb, pressing delicately against it, passing her hands over where the babies should have been. 

Shinji, who had been holding Rei by the hand since he had rejoined her, was impatiently awaiting for Ritsuko's response, while caressing his wife's trembling hand. 

"Rei-chan. Do you remember when you felt these abrupt aches for the first time?" Dr. Akagi inquired, using her most comforting tone of voice. 

Rei, making an effort to bear the labour pains, responded: "..I started to feel them..since the beginning of the dinner..but they were very slight..I thought they would pass off in a few minutes..it often happens that…" Dr. Akagi's suppositions were borne out by those words. 

Ritsuko caressed Rei's cheek. "Rei-chan..I think the big moment has come.." 

"WHAT??RIGHT NOW???", Shinji burst with surprise. He had never ever expected such a verdict from Rit-chan. 

"SHINJIII!! PLEASE, SHUT UP!!Everybody is watching us, now!",Touji blurted, while hushing his friend. 

"It's true, Shinchan. The time has come.", Ritsuko finally averred. 

"But…", Rei whispered, concealing her own distress,"There are so many days when it is supposed to happen." 

"Don't mind, Rei-chan. After all, there's only a few days to the foreseen day. Just remember that Misato gave birth to Akane at her eight month of pregnancy, and both of them are as sound as a bell , as you can see. You have to calm down, now. Do you remember what I told you when we examined the babies last time?", Dr. Akagi asked, holding Rei's hand. 

Ayanami nodded assent. "Yes.. You told me my children were already in position for the parturition." 

"Exactly. Everything wil be all right, Rei-chan.I won't abandon you, even for one minute.", Ritsuko promised to the young mother. 

Rei smiled at Dr. Akagi with gratitude, while Misato was slowly heading towards them, followed by Kaji, Yukito, and the two little girls. 

"What's happened, Ritchan? How's Rei?", Misato questioned her friend. 

"Labour pains have just started, and we must take her to the Geo-Front inner hospital.", she said, while standing up. 

"What are we supposed to do? Our cars are very far from here! Don't you think we'd better call for an ambulance?" 

Misato was very upset, noticing that Rei would have suffered from serious complications because of her fragility, unless she was taken to the hospital as soon as possible. 

Touji shook her head. "I don't think it's a good idea to call for an ambulance. It would dreadfully bother the guests!" 

" I think so." Ritsuko said. "We'd better move to the hall, so that Rei'll be able to lie down, far from the guests' curiosity", she said. 

Shinji assented, then he lifted Rei, holding her up with Yukito's help. 

"Don't worry, Sweetie. I'm here with you!", Shinji whispered, meeting his wife's glance. She would given birth to their children within a few hours, possibly within a few minutes. Their children…fruits of their love, which had been won with difficulty.   


Shinji couldn't but gaze at Rei, who returned his glance. Her look seemed to soften for a moment. 

"Rei-chan", Shinji uttered smiling. 

"Shinchan. ..our children will be born in a little while." 

Shinji bent her head. "Yeah. Rei-chan…you've got to make an effort to resist, for the time being. It's not time yet for our children to come into world. They must wait until we'll reach the hospital. 

"I'll try, Shinchan. "Her eyes glistened with tears that were starting to trickle outfrom her eyes. 

Shinji couldn't reply, because Yukito begged for his attention again. "Kaji 's gone away for a moment, just to warn Nozomi and Kensuke about the situation. We'd better hurry up and move to the hall. Possibly we'll have a chance to phone for an ambulance from there, then get to the hospital. There's not much time left.", Dr. Tsukishiro admonished him, resting his hand on Shinji's shoulder, then turning to the blue-haired woman. "Everything will turn out well in the end, for sure, dear!", he continued, ruffling Rei's hair to distract her a bit. 

Shinji nodded, then they went out of the room, supporting Rei all the way, taking care not to attract the other guests attention. 

"Whaaat?Are you serious, Mr. Ryouji?", the bride yelled with excitement, having been informed by Kaji-san about the circumstances. 

"Yeah.I'm sorry. My wife, my daughter and I have intention of seeing Rei and Shinji to the hospital, and so do Dr. Akagi and her husband, who will look after the labour." 

"No problem. You've nothing to apologize for. On the contrary! Give Shinji and Rei our best wishes! We shall come and see her as soon as possible!", 

"Ooohh.. TREASURE!! I wish I could go to the hospital now!! Shall we go, Sweetie Magpie??", she cried out cheerfully, jumping all around just like a little child, then hugging her husband's shoulders. 

"But..how can you leave your guest alone?". Kaji was surprised by Nozomi's absurd request. Kensuke stared at her bride, who was looking at him pleadingly,her face childishly sulky. 

"Treasure..Mr. Kaji's got a point, Sweetie!We can't leave our guests this way!" 

Nozomi puffed. "Right.. You're right, Sweetie! We can't abandon them right now. But I hope we'll be able to join you as soon as possible, at the hospital!Ok?" 

Kaji assented. "Of course. I'm sure everyone 'll be pleased with your presence!" 

* 

"Very good,Rei-chan. Just relax your body,this way. Breath deeply..I'm sure your pain will soften..",Ritsuko murmured,while setting next to Rei , wetting her face with the edge of a moistened handkerchief. Ayanami was lying on one of the many sofas settled in the hall. She looked more at ease while lying, despite labour pains that had surely strenghtened, Rei-chan seemed to endure it better than before.   


"Sorry. This agency is also out of taxies.", the old doorkeeper said in a grave voice, after hanging up at the end of the conversation with a secretary from a local cooperative supplying taxies. "They said there'll be no available taxi before   


02:00 AM. And I don't think you can wait that long." 

Shinji's look was saddened. He had no idea how to solve the problem. 

"What rotten luck!", dr. Tsukishiro uttered. He was beggining to be seriously irritated 

"I'm dreadfully sorry,really! Mostly for this poor girl who's suffering so much! I can call our city hospital for an ambulance, if you don't mind.",the hall porter suggested. 

Ritsuko refused his offer. "No, it would be useless. It couldn't get here in less than an hour." 

Shinji sighed, and so did the hall porter. Ritsuko was trying to relieve Rei's labour pains, urging her to breath regularly and relax. It was the only thing the doctor could do to help her. Nevertheless,Ayanami was worn. If they really wouldn't find a way to get her to the Geo-Front inner hospital within a few of minutes, they would have to prepare for an old-style childbirth! 

To tell the truth, it wouldn't be the safest thing for Rei to give birth to her children right there, without any proper medical apparatus. Surely, she could rely on two expert doctors, yet they knew it would be a big risk , considering Ayanami's delicate health, to let her bear the children so arduously. 

Shinji stared at the luxurious door which closed off the hall from the rest of the hotel. Misato and Kaji had stepped in the dining room, searching for someone who would lend them a car to take Rei to the hospital. 

They weren't back yet, which was increasing the others' anxiety. 

"At this point", Ritsuko uttered regretfully,breaking the painful silence which had suddenly caught those present. " we have no choice but to take a room for tonight, to let Rei give birth to her babies in this hotel. 

Neither Shinji couldn't object to the scientist's words, so he bent his head, then he prepared to accept the eventuality, but not without disappointment. 

Yukito nodded with sorrow. Just when he was about to ask the doorkeeper for a room for that night, Ritsuko's mobile phone rang , which stopped him from doing it. 

Ritsuko reached her bag, which she had previously rested on the couch, then she took out her mobile, which was playing a silly melody - 'Jingle Bells', to be exact. 

Ritsuko stood up . "Excuse me for a moment, Rei-chan", she said before she answered the phone. 

"Hello?" 

"Ritsuko! It's me!", Colonel Katsuragi's voice echoed through the mobile receiver. 

"Misato. Is there any news?", dr. Akagi inquired hopefully, praying for Misato to give her good tidings. 

"Nope. Unfortunately! Nothing at all…Kaji and I had thought to give you a call in order to know if you had found a way to reach the hospital." 

Ritsuko sighed. "Nope. Unfortunately! Nothing at all…" 

"Fucking hell! is it possible thatwe are not able to find even a scooter in such a big hotel? We're in state of emergency, yet we can't handle this!", Misato yelled, giving a state of her rage. 

"We thought the best advice's to rent a room for tonight, and let Rei bear the children here." 

"Here?But…" 

Ritsuko interrupted her friend. "I know we're destitute of any required equipment. Yet, since we've got to to do this, it's of no use to make Rei suffer, if we can't find a way to take her to the hospital." 

"Ooooh! Finally a Hotel!". While the sliding doors opened, a male voice could be heard. 

At those words, Shinji, Ritsuko and Yukito turned towards the sound source. He was an almost 40 year old man, tall and slender, dressed in a NAVI   
uniform. NAVI was a little bus-line in Neo-Tokyo 3. 

Ritsuko experienced a dejà-vù, soon as she gazed at the face of the entering man. It seemed as she had never known him, yet he looked somehow familiar. 

"How lucky! If only you knew!!", he happily yelled to the doorkeeper. "I was terribly thirsty, and moreover I got tired, having been driving my bus all day long. Luckily, I met a strange fellow, who showed me the way to this hotel!Ooohhh!Thank heaven!!", the bus driver went on. As soon as Ritsuko heard hi voice, she remembered who he was.   
  
It was non less than Tokida Shiro, an engineer from Japan Heavy Industries Corporation. He was the one responsible for the Jet Alone Project, which failed from an accident caused maliciously by Nerv . He was so different, compared with his condition some years before. He had turned from a brilliant engineer working for a big company like JHI, into an ordinary bus-driver of a little local company. None of those, who took part in Jet Alone project presentation, could expect Mr. Tokida would have such a bad fortune. Not even Nerv wold have expected such an utter disaster would hit Japan Heavy Industries, after its sabotage.   


*A bus-driver, isn't he?* Ritsuko,while stealthily looking at him, had a sudden insight, which might grant Rei a not so painful delivery. She stood up, noticing the bus driver was heading towards the hotel pub. 

"Shinji! Yuki! Stop that man! Quick!", she cried out, without any further explanation. Ritsuko quickly dialed Misato's number on her own mobile. After a ring, Misato answered. 

"Misato!", the doctor yelled. "Come here! Hurry up! Maybe, there's a way left to get to the hospital in time!" 

  
A few minutes later.. 

"WHAAAAAAAT?? Are you crazy???". Tokida's voice was raised high in anger. 

"I beg you!My wife's not well!", Shinji insisted, desperately begging him to hear his plea for help.   


"NO WAY! My shift was over at 9:00 PM, and I wouldn't drive the bus to take anyone to Neo-Tokyo 3 for any reason, any reason I said! I'll start again working at 07:00 clock in the morning!" 

"But…this is an emergency! If she isn't be driven to the hospital within a few minutes, we'll be compelled to make her give birth to the children here!", Yukito retorted. 

"And then? I can't see the point! You're from the mythical special agency called Nerv, aren't you?A birthing should be a child's play for those who resisted the Angels..", he sneered at them.   


"Sorry for running late, folks! We got lost in the rooms of the Hotel, thus we couldn't find our way back to the Hall!", Misato apologized, finally returning with Kaji and Akane-chan. 

"I told you we had to turn right!", Kaji uttered, casting a side-glance to his wife. Misato didn't hear him, luckily she approached Ritsuko,Shinji and Yukito,   
who were hopelessly endeavoring to persuade the bus-driver. Kaji headed towards the sofa where Tomoyo was sleeping, then rested Akane-chan on it, taking care to not disturb the children's slumber. He finally looked at Rei-chan, who was lying on the next couch. He stared at her, clenching her teeth so as not to groan in pain, with her eyes closed,the collar of her shirt soaked drop her constant sweating.   
  
Kaji gave her a pitying look, then he tenderly drew near to her, unbuttoning her shirt collar, to uncover her neck. Nobody had cared about that detail, in the middle of such confusion . Kaji-san moistened the handkerchief,which Ritsuko had used to wet Rei's forehead, in the basin put on the table, then he squeezed it properly,   
finally leaning it upon Ayanami's forehead, to wipe the sweat from. 

"Rei-chan", Kaji softly whispered to her. 

"Kaji-san..Ka.. aaahh..", moaned Ayanami, straining to reply him. 

Kaji soothed her, by saying. "Sshh..You'd better be silent." 

Rei didn't listen to him, and went on asking: "Where's Shinji? I can't see him!" 

Kaji pointed his finger towards Shinji. 

"He's over there, talking with a bus-driver to convince him to drive us to the   
hospital" 

Having heard his words, Rei closed her eyes again, maybe worn out with the effort of speaking. She was doing her best to endure until her children could be born safely 

Not to make Rei more worried, the secret agent refrained from telling her that the debate was becoming livelier, so that Misato, with a final outburst of rage, had grasped Tokida by his collar.   


"NOW LISTEN TO ME, YOU WORM!!", she cried out irascibly, making him turn pale with fear. "If you won't let us get on your bus at once, and won't drive us to the hospital as fast as possible, not only will I report you to the police for voluntary failure to assist, but also I'll compel you to be Rei's obstetrician. DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN???", Misato yelled, while tightening her grasp on him, so that he couldn't even reply to her words. 

"Misato! Let Tokida go!!", Shinji exclaimed. Misato complied with his words,though she was not eager to let him down. Colonel Katsuragi took a step backwards, still keeping her death glare on Tokida. 

"Shinji's gotta a point, Misato", Kaji said, coming closer to the group. 

Tokida arranged his shirt collar. "You are crazy! All of you!", he uttered, truly annoyed because of Misato's outrageous behaviore. 

"I beg you!", Shinji implored him once again." I entreat you from the bottom of my heart! Take us to the hospital! Ten years ago…all of us protected mankind from the Angels' threat, always running the risk of dying , only to save the other people's live. Now…she's aking for help.. Hadn't you conceived Jet Alone to help human beings?", Shinji went on, trying to conceal his tears of sorrow and rage. 

"Let him go..Shinchan..I can bear my children here..aahh", Rei foolishly stood up on her feet, drawing near to the others, when, all of a sudden,she lost her balance , feeling a powerful new pang. Kaji caught her in time, before she collapsed and and hit the floor.   


"Rei!", everybody cried out , rushing over to her. Kaji took her in his arms, and made her sit down again on the couch. 

"Rei-chan! You must not stand up!!", Ritsuko blamed her; she couldn't help but hardening her tone of voice. Ayanami strained to recover from her collapse more quickly than before, never minding about her friends' anxious reproaches. On the contrary, she insisted on her point. 

" I'm..I'm serious..I can give birth to my children here..I don't mind not getting to the hospital. Take a room here…", she moaned. Her voiced had mingled with her groans, since the pain was becoming unbearable. Once again, silence fell upon the lounge. 

Ritsuko, Misato, Kaji, Yukito and Shinji stared at each other, trying to take a decision. 

One thing was certain: they had to decide now 

Misato was looking towards Tokida, her facial expression conveying all her blame for his cowardly meanness . Tokida stood still and frightened, when the group turned to him, asking him with their looks 'if they really had to push things all the way. 

Yukito, after having looked at Rei once again, bent his head with sorrow. Dr. Akagi took Rei's hand , while sighing. "Right. We'll take a room where you'll be able to bear your children. Everything's gonna to be all right, Rei-chan", she encouraged Ayanami, using words she herself couldn't completely trust. At any rate, there was no choice left. 

Rei nodded assent. "Yes..doctor.." 

"Rei-chan..", Shinji cried, filled with fear. 

Misato stood up from the couch next to the one where Rei was sitting, then drew close to the counter. In back of it, was a show case displaying the rooms keys. 

At the counter stood the doorman, who, having listened at the argument, had no need to be asked by Colonel Katsuragi for a room. He readily handed her a key. 

"Room 234. Fourth floor. The corridor on the left .Servants will take you clean towels and basins of hot water very soon." 

Misato took the key. "Thank you..we' re sorry for having bothered you." 

" Wait a moment!" Before the doorman could deliver Colonel Katsuragi all the documents to be signed for renting the room, Tokida halted her, being almost almost dead with shame, which had finally overcome the pride preventing him helping them. 

Misato turned to him without uttering one word. 

Shiro Tokida winced under Misato's glance. "Err…Get on the bus, please! I'm driving you to the Geo-Front!"   


Shinji,Ritsuko and Yukito didn't expect such a sudden change of mind from him, yet they needn't to be told twice. They all happily rose from the sofa, Shinji taking Rei in his arms, with relief.   


"Sweetheart!", Shinji cried out gaily,when Rei opened her eyes, fixing her eyes on him. 

"We're getting to the hospital, finally!", he continued, restraining his desire to hug her for joy. Rei smiled warmly, though her grin was strained by her difficult breathing. 

Shinji kissed her hair lightly, then they went outside the hotel, towards the parking lot. 

Misato was alone still remained inside. She had completely changed her attitude towards Tokida. Indeed, she was smiling at him, giving her thanks to him. 

Tokida couldn't reply to her words at once. Possibly, he was still embarassed for having made them wait so much before he complied. 

"Uhn? Er…It was nothing..", he faltered out, while drawing slovly towards the exit . The hall porter smiled happily, replacing the key of room 234. 

Strangely, once all of them had left, a white, swirling feather fell upon the counter, passing totally unnoticed by anyone.   


Ten minutes later .. 

"Faster! Faster!", Misato yelled, standing next to the driver, inspite of the fact that the bus was moving.   


"But there's speed limit here! If the policemen nab us, we'll be in in deep shit! And if someone from NAVI catches me around driving passengers in the night , they'll fire me, at least!" Poor Tokida complained; he was disconsolate, clasping the wheel even tighter, fearing that he would meet the NAVI manager popping out of nowhere. 

At the end of the bus,in the back row with the widest seats, was Rei. Her head resting upon Ritsuko's knees. She was incessantly wetting Ayanami's forehead, attempting to make her pain less severe. 

"Be brave, Rei-chan! Resist a little more..we're almost there". 

"Ritchan! Look here!", Yukito burst out in alarm, while sitting at Rei's feet."I think her water has broken!"   
  
"What a bad luck! Right now!", doctor uttered, keeping calm. "Well, then! Can't you speed up?", she yelled, so that Tokida could hear her words.   
  
"I-CAN-T-EXCEED-THE-SPEED-LIMIT!!", Tokida snapped arrogantly, not increasing the bus speed at all.   


"But…this is an emergency! If we won't arrive in time, all our efforts will be useless!", Shinji answered in despair. 

"Don't worry, we'll reach the hospital anyway! Five minutes before, five minutes later, what's the difference? AHHHHH!!" 

"SHUT UP!! If you won't speed up, I'll speed up by myself!!", Misato yelled, while treading harder on Tokida's foot, which was pushing on the accelerator. 

"ARE YOU CRAZY??", he yelled trying to decelerate again.   


"DON'T YOU DARE SLOW DOWN, OK?? OTHERWISE YOU'LL HAVE TO SETTLE IT WITH ME, DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN??", Misato continued, greatly vexed by his behavior. She surely could have intimidated a wild lion   


"Yeah..yeah..", he complied, gathering speed again, having been frightened by Misato's fury. 

"How much longer will it take to reach the GeoFront?", Yukito asked, being rather worried. 

"It won't take that long, be quiet! We'll be there within five minutes!", Misato answered. 

"Pull yourself together! I pray you, Rei-chan!", Shinji whispered very scared, straining to bear having to see Rei that way. Shinji was clasping her hand with both of his hands. 

Finally, some minutes later, they arrived at the Geo-Front. The first one who got off the bus was Yukito, who helped Shinji get Rei down. Then Misato and Ritsuko dismounted from the vehicle.   


"HEY!! Are you leaving this way?? Without even thanking me??", Tokida yelled in anger.He hoped he would have extra earnings for his overtime work. 

"Sorry", said Kaji, who was the last to get off, while taking Akane and Tomoyo in his arms, with a little effort. "As you can see, my arms are too busy to put my hand in the pocket.", Kaji answered earnestly. Inspite of the fact that it was a silly, pretext, it worked well.   
  
"HRMPHH!!", Tokida crossed his arms, very pissed off. "I was compelled to drive my bus at 1:30 AM, covering 12 kilometers, slopes and curves, and that's the way you thank me.. That's funny, really funny! I always said this this job's not good for me." 

"Come on! Cheer up! I promise to you I'll put in a word so you can join Nerv. Are you happy?", Kaji taunted him. 

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?? I'm very happy!! I'll let you have my curriculum vitae, if you don't mind! I'm a brilliant engineer, do you know?" 

"All right, all right! I'll let you know. Now I gotta go. I'm late, my wife and the others have already got into the hospital, and the children might catch a cold since the bus door is wide open. We'll see, and sorry if we spoilt your night!", 

Kaji said, being on the point of getting off the bus. 

"Oh..No problem! You didn't bother me at all!Please, don't forget to let me know what Nerv thinks about my curriculum, won't you?", Tokida uttered like a bootlicker, changing his mood automatically. 

"What a toady!", Kaji thought, before saying goodbye to the fawning bus-driver again. He finally got off the bus, running towards the entry to the Geo-Front. 

"Mmmm.. What a luck! It's always been my dream to be able to work for Nerv.I felt so envious of that magnificent agency..eeeeeetciù!!" Tokida's outburst of joy was interrupted by a sneeze. 

Tokida rubbed his nose with his finger. 

"What's up? Is there a bird around? That was an allergic sneeze! *SNIFF*I only hope one of them doesn't own a bird!" 

There was no bird, to be sure. Yet, another feather,similar to the one lying on the hall counter, was silently balanced right upon the bus wheel. 

END OF THE FOURTH CHAPTER- PART TWO   
  
*********Author Note********** 

~*~ Yeah...it sounds a bit strange that their cars was too far from the Hotel, but I didn't have any other idea about it^_^;; 

~*~ Many thanks to Faby-chan for this translation and many thanks to Jason Carter too for the corrections^_^;; 

~*~ Do not forget to review, please! My email address is reichan@inwind.it ^^ 

AGAIN:DO NOT FORGET TO REVIEW!!!!!!   
  



	6. Opening The Future Doors- 4,3 Chapter

"Opening The Future Doors"   
Fourth chapter-Part three- 

................ 

/Tick. tick. tick. tick   
  


The only perceivable noise in the maternity waiting room of Nerv's hospital was the ticking from the pendulum clock, which hung up the wall. Everything else had been standing , since Ritsuko and Yukito had entered the delivery room, escorted by other doctors and nurses employed on the Base, who had helped them in carrying Rei. 

Althrough kind of drowsy, Shinji was staring at the moves of the pendulum clock straight before him; possibly, in that very moment, he was the most anxious person in the world.. 

Just next to him, there was Misato, sitting on the couch. Even the Major could not help being worried; still she tried not to show her anxiety, in order not to make Shinji's emotional state worse. 

"Huff! Where the hell is Kaji!? I am starting to believe that he got lost somewhere in the Base facilities....", Misato said, disappointed by the silence hanging between them; then she leaned her hands on the nape of her neck, crossing her fingers. 

Anyway, Shinji had not recovered from his daydreaming, since he stood motionless, looking like he was sunk into oblivion, twenty thousand leagues under his cares. He had not at all paid attention to Misato, which she had not considered him blameable for; on the contrary, she had kept on smiling broadly at her little Shinji. 

He was about to hit the target, by achieving the main goal in life. 

"Puff! I'm coming!", Kaji said in a huff, while popping out of a corner, coming from the corridor. The two sleeping children still rested in Ryouji's arms, with their heads leaned upon his shoulders, their arms and legs hanging down. 

"Kaji! Where have you been!?", Misato asked in surprise. 

Ryouji sniggered, approaching his wife." I guess I got lost once again.." 

"I should have figured!", she answered, extending her arms towards her husband. "Dear, just hand me Akane-chan". Misato offered to help her husband, noticing his efforts to support the children's' weight 

Given the fact that Kaji-san had his other arm busy in sustaining Tomoyo-chan, he could not give his wife Akane ; therefore, he was limited to bringing his arm near her: she grasped his intention, and gently took the child from her husband.   
  
Unluckily, it all disturbed Akane's slumber. 

"Mummyyy...what's that light!? Where are we, mummy!?", sounded a shrill voice from Drowsyland. She had to close her eyelids, bothered by the blinding halogen light filling the room. A rude awakening had been added to the numbers of disturbances the little girl had to go through, all along that hectic night. 

Misato nestled her daughter's face against her chest, trying to shelter her eyes from the lamp glare. 

"We'll be back home soon. Please, sleep dear...", Misato fondly whispered, rocking her to sleep. Akane indulged her mother's wish, falling asleep again, still pressed against Misato's chest. Kaji sat down between Shinji and his wife, arranging Tomoyo-chan comfortably in his arms.   
  
"Did you tell Ritsuko and Yukito that her daughter is here with us?", Kaji questioned his wife, while he took care to blanket Tomoyo's shoulders under   
his own jacket, so that she did not catch a cold. 

"I didn't tell them. I guessed they'd figure it out. ", Misato averred, mimicking Kaji's gesture, by taking off the light coat she wore over her dark blue dress, then covering her daughter with it. It was then that Shinji removed his own jacket, offering it to her former guardian with gallantry. 

"Take it, Misato-san!", he said. Somehow, Misato was surprised by his gesture. Shinji's kindness had overwhelmed his anxiety, she thought. 

"Domou arigatou, Shinchan." 

Shinji smiled back at her, then he sunk again into the depths of his thoughts; he had just changed his main focus, averting his attention from the little bronze pendulum hanging on the wall, to concentrate on the person of Kaji-san. 

It didn't take that long for Ryouji to notice Shinji's intense glances towards him. 

"Hey, Buddy! Are you dreaming about what your children will be like?!", Kaji asked with a hint of irony. 

Hearing those words, Ikari recovered himself from Wonderland. "Kaji-san..." Shinji finally gave up his worries, staring at his interlocutor melancholically. 

Kaji smiled "Lo! An upcoming father, getting sleepy on the very night when his children will be born!", he emphatically said. 

"Right now, I would be alright with everything but feeling so dizzy!", Shinji retorted, while nervously crossing his fingers. He finally leaned back, getting involved again in his troublesome cares. 

Kaji rested his free hand upon Shinji's shoulder. 

"You'd better relax, Shin-chan. That's not good to get so nervous in such a circumstance! You're going to live one of the best moments in your life! You definitely can't let this anxiety of yours waste it all!" Kaji uttered. 

"I know it, still I can't help feeling like this...", Shinji whispered. 

"What about going to the bar and having something? I can't assure you there 's someone there, since Kensuke and Nozomi invited nearly anyone employed at   
the Base to their wedding... Still I guess wandering around will possibly be of some use in calming you down." 

Shinji reflected for a moment upon Kaji's suggestion, then he consented to have a break. Shinji nodded repeatedly, before rising from the bench slowly. 

"You're making sense, Kaji-san..", he answered, bending to Kaji and Misato. 

She was still gazing at Ikari-kun, her glance filled with compassion. 

"I guess having a walk is definitely ok for me.". The young man made an effort to smile, while saying those words unwillingly, doubtfully. 

Kaji nodded assent " Why don't you have a coffee ? Just to remain awake... A coffee sounds very good, when it's half past two in the night!",   
he added, meaning to relieve the tension. 

Shinji didn't say a word, but just kept on staring at Kaji for some moments, with the same worried look he had been displaying since they'd arrived to   
the hospital. Finally he headed towards the lift, which was 50 meters far. 

"Poor little Shinji... He's so scared..", whispered Misato, with her eyes following Shinji-kun, while he moved towards the elevator. 

"That's right..", Kaji agreed with his wife's words. "..Still he made his effort best to be brave and strong in front of us, and of Rei-chan, most of all. This too is a brave action. Just like the way he acted aboard the Evas." 

"We did it.." Shinji whispered to himself, looking at the fist he was clenching and unclenching compulsively, while the lift was slowly going down to the lower floors of the huge facilities. 

He raised his eyes, reading the pointer, which indicated "7th floor". 

"Once upon a time I found myself in this very lift......", he unconsciously whispered to himself *...how many things happened inside here..*   
  
\\FLASHBACK\\   
  
*....10 years ago Ikari-kun was a shy, insecure fourteen year old boy. The scene fades to the inside of an elevator; Shinji is talking to Rei..* 

" Do you know? This morning..at school... when we were cleaning our classroom up.. I observed you.... I thought you looked like a mother..",   
Shinji uttered unusually. 

"A...mother?", the blue-eyed girl faltered in awe. Her muttered words had let her suppressed emotions carelessly leak out. Whenever it happened, anyone but Shinji ignored what was hidden in her heart. 

"Yup!", the young man assented with a timid smile, which softened his look   
. 

"The way you wrung the cloth..it reminded me of a mother's attitude..", he smiled before going on speaking. 

"I guess you would be a good mother !" 

//END FLASHBACK// 

When the lift stopped with a ring at the floor he was headed to, Shinji's mind came back to the present day 

" Who could imagine my dream would become reality, and I would find myself in the same elevator, looking back to that distant day?.." At that thought,   
he smiled sweetly, as he did ten years ago, while talking to Rei. 

"Rei-chan..." 

Once the lift doors opened at the second floor, there appeared the bar, which was daily frequented by all the Nerv staff. Shinji remembered a more recent dialogue, the one that took place on his wedding eve. 

In that occurrence, a trembling-voiced Rei scarily to confessed him it was impossible for her to have children, her cheeks getting wet by slow and silent tears. 

\\FLASHBACK\\ 

The cold evening breeze passed through Misato's apartment solarium. It was the only place where they could withdraw from the fevered party for their   
Farewell to Celibacy. 

"Will you marry me.anyhow.?..", she whispered to Shinji, her words broken by tears. He was staring at her, being astonished at the sad thought Rei had been able to conceive: she had even doubted the wedding promise he had made her. 

Shinji pulled Rei by her arm, bringing her near to him. 

He was not so kind, drawing her to himself so harshly; still he couldn't suffer Rei's words, and he wished to reassure her as soon as possible. At once. Immediately. So hurriedly that soon would be too late. 

"Of course! I obviously want to marry you, Rei!!" he exclaimed, hugging her as intensely as possible, hushing up her crying. 

"I'm not marrying you so that you could give birth to my sons, I'm doing it 'cause I love you! Anata wa suki desu, Rei-chan! Nothing else matters to me, but you! Nothing more!!" 

"Shin..chan..." She nestled her face against his chest, while tightly clasping his shirt with her hands "Since I can't give you children...am I   
still a woman?", she went on speaking. 

"Stop it!" Shinji shushed her in reproach, "Rei! I don't mind it! I..I love you as you are! And.." Shinji's voice was gradually softening, while he finished his sentence "..our love won't be defined by the absence of children" 

Once he had finished his sentence, Shinji smiled. It was hard to believe that smile came from the same person who had spoken just before in such an   
authoritative tone. 

Rei lifted her eyes, and watched at him in an astonished way, without leaving her place at Shinj's chest. "Are..are you sincere, Shinji?", she answered, slowly stopping to cry. 

The guy nodded "I swear it, Rei-chan.."   


* 

//END FLASHBACK// 

*How contradictory..* 

Shinji mumbled, proceeding along the corridor, undisturbed. *Since then, I knew for sure we couldn't have sons. I got used to it. So I almost fainted, when Rei gave me the good news. Nine long months has passed, And now, this is the moment. All this time looked never-ending to me..* 

When he finally arrived to the Geo-Front bar, he woke up from his train of thoughts. 

Unfortunately, a gate barred the entry. Shinji stopped for a moment. He was quite surprised to find it shut. He went on towards the grating, advancing a few paces; once he was near enough, he leant his hands on the gate, his fingers grasping its diagonal bars. 

"Closed.", he said, eyeing through the grating. 

The bar was still lightened inside, despite it was totally empty and still. 

*..It resembles my heart as it used to be: shut down, despite the fact that it was filled with light..* 

Shinji understood there was no time left to wander in Dreamland. He'd better move up to the hospital. 

The young man turned to his side, noticing a long row of various vending machines, not far away from the lift exit. Drinks, snacks, hot drinks, ice creams: they were suited to any taste. There was no precooked food available, since Nerv's restaurant was on the upside floor. 

Shinji approached the hot-drinks machine. There were even aromatic drinks, like rose tea. Yet Shinji opted for a classic beverage; after inserting a loose coin he had found inside his trousers pockets, he forcibly pressed the button, waiting for his milky-espresso. Then he inserted two more coins, to have a coffee for Misato and Kaji, as a token of thanking for having suggested that he take a walk, which had really improved his mood: Nerv's Vice-Commander felt quite relaxed now. 

The vending-machine quickly poured three coffees into the paper-cups; Shinji slightly bent down to pick them up, arranging them so he could carry them without spilling them on the floor. Shinji was applying a tiny cover on the border of the last cup left, when he suddenly felt a light wild breeze, as if someone had passed just next to him. He turned in amazement: was there anyone right there besides him? Wasn't he all alone? 

He looked all around himself once again; there was no one except him and 'Lord Silence', which reigned uncontested.save that some rustles eventually ripped its surface. 

Shinji saw only one moving thing, which suddenly caught his attention: it was a lightly flatting feather, which wandered under the young man's nose, then rested upon the border of the still uncovered coffee cup. It was within a hair's breadth of sinking into the hot drink. 

Shinji's eyes were fixed directly on the standing feather; he took care not to shift its position by breathing. He stared at it in astonishment for some moments, being almost frightened. What the heck ..was a bird down supposed to be in a place like that?.. 

Shinji swallowed to clear the lump in his throat, then he took it, collecting all his bravery, bringing it nearer to his eyes. He held it up to the light, having the mild feeling that there was something strange about it. 

What was in Ikari's mind? 

It was definitely an harmless feather, after all; according to its size, one could have argue it belonged to a quite big bird... 

What if that bird didn't chirp? 

Shinji Ikari gave another look around himself, then he looked upwards.. since it had feathers, one could figure it also had wings..consequently, it was supposed to fly. 

Still he saw nothing, while staring at the ceiling: no signal, no message, and no clue..nothing at all could help him to find out whom this unusual feather belonged to. 

Shinji didn't notice anything particular. All but that feather had remained unchanged around him. He turned back again; still, when he watched at the feather again, what he saw impressed him more than being face to face with its owner. It was not there anymore. 

The down had disappeared in his hands. Before guessing haphazardly about the true mystery, he turned his glance towards the floor, and the coffee cups. Maybe it had simply fallen down. Yet it was not like that: it had vanished, as Shinji exactly knew. He couldn't say why he run away out of the blue, headed to the lift, after having quickly capped the coffee cup. 

Both anxiety and firmness were showing up on his face. He hurried to the lift doors, which swiftly opened. He jumped in, then pressed the button   
leading to the 7th floor, the one hosting the Nerv Internal Hospital.   
  
* 

In the meanwhile, inside of the operating theatre, which possibly was more hectic than ever, Ritsuko, Yukito and the other doctors were finally allowed to sigh in relief and take a moment of rest. Dr. Akagi began to slip her gloves off, followed by the rest of the medical staff. 

"We did a great job...", doctor Tsukishiro exclaimed with resolution: he faced this kind of emergency daily, since he was a certified surgeon. He stared at his wife, who smiled at him, nodding. 

"Congratulations!" Ritsuko waited for a smiling assent from the other doctors, who were taking off their coats. Then she approached again the person who had been the reason for that night feverish activity: Rei Ikari Ayanami. She was lying on a bed: maybe she had been the first sighing in relief. The brand new mother was panting because of the recent effort, her eyes shut, her face was moist with sweat: the twin's birth had not been that easy for her... 

Ritsuko stared at the young woman for some moments, then she smiled, resting her hand on Rei's forehead. 

"Rei-chan, Are you all right?", 

Rei couldn't even talk; despite her pain, she succeeded in opening her eyes, as a showing of her assent. Ritsuko's hand moved Rei's hair from her forehead. 

"You did wonderfully, Rei-chan. Everything turned out well, and we owe it to you.", she averred while caressing Ayanami. 

Rei made an effort to reply, yet it was of no use: she had spent all her strength in giving birth to her sons. Ritsuko could see it better than anyone. So Yukito, Maya, and the rest of the staff didn't complain at all about Dr. Akagi not allowing the mother to take the children in her arms just after the labour, given her distress. 

Rei could not even keep her eyes opened; so the doctors thought it would be better showing her the children later, once she would regain her strength. 

"Have a rest now, please, Rei-chan. From now on, we'll manage everything, you know? Just worry about recovering..." 

Yukito joined the talking " You gave birth to two wonderful babies, Rei-chan!" 

Rei gave Yukito a questioning look, then he turned her eyes again to Dr. Akagi. "That's true; today has been a wonderful day, for Shinchan and yourself. You gave birth to a male and a female." 

At those words, Rei couldn't help but make the tiniest of the smiles. She willingly yielded Rituko's suggest, indulging in a little rest. So she closed her eyes and then she felt asleep, while her look slowly softened. 

Ritsuko moved Rei's hair, hanging on her face, behind her ears. After that she turned her gaze towards the other doctors. 

"Carry her to the ward, please, and let her have a quiet rest. She's totally exhausted!" 

"Ok, Doctor Akagi!", chorused the doctors, hurrying to set up a stretcher to carry Rei with. 

In the room's corner, there was a young woman, dressed in a coat, who was very busy about something. 

"I did it...", she softly whispered, while making a very tiny hand pass through the equally tiny sleeve of his white-coloured cotton overalls. 

"I'm done with you, baby." Maya Ibuki smiled, while lifting in front of her one of the two people responsible for that unbelievable night. One couldn' t relate how sweet and tender the creature Maya-san held in looked her arms. He was a blue-dressed baby; his eyes shut, the baby child was asleep, just like his pink-dressed sis, who was still in her swaddling bands, with her fists clenched tightly in front of her face, the tiniest threads of blue hanging over it: she had the same hair colour as her mother. 

Maya was almost touched; they reminded her of her little Fuu-Tien, whom she had entrusted to her husband; possibly, both of them were asleep by then. Maya leant this baby too upon the bed, waiting for someone to bring the cradles. 

"Senpai, I'm done!" Doctor Ibuki exclaimed, turning towards Ritsuko. 

Doctor Akagi headed over to Maya. "Is it all right, Maya?" 

"Yes, Senpai! Both the children are healthy; I signed their weight both on the clinical board, and the identification bracelet." 

"Perfect. Thank you, Maya." Ritsuko couldn't help but fix her gaze on the babies. They looked so tender, while sleeping next to each other, resembling two angels fallen down from the sky. 

"They are the sweetest thing, aren't they?", doctor Akagi said with a smile, caressing the childrens' bodies. 

Maya nodded "Yup. They are really two wonderful babies. They are very like their parents." 

"Yeah. I'm so happy Rei could give their sons what she couldn't have for herself.", Ritsuko whispered, her hand rubbing the children's velvet overalls, a sad thought forming in her mind. 

Maya stared at her in surprise "What are you talking about, Senpai?", wondered Doctor Ibuki. 

Ritsuko tried not to give vent to the tears forming in her eyes, just to hide them from her friend "Uh..never mind, Maya..", she exclaimed, turning her face again towards the babies, whose sight of whom turned into happiness the melancholy surrounding the doctor.   
  
* 

"Come on! Come on!!", yelled Shinji, trying to make the lift doors open up quickly. He couldn't say why he was so hurried; he only knew something had   
happened to Rei-chan. Something he couldn't guess; he just had to get to where she was. 

Nerv's vice-commander finally got out of the lift, rushing towards the corridor, which seemed quite calm. Misato was in sight, sitting in the lounge, while rocking her crossed legs, holding Akane in her arms. Ryouji was next to her, holding Tomoyo-chan. Neither Katsuragi nor Kaji noticed that Shinji was approaching them. He slowly paced, keeping his gaze fixed to the distance.   
It all looked changeless, yet he felt something was occurring.   
  
"Ah! Shinchan!", yelled Misato, realizing Shinji's presence. "Are you back already!?" 

"Yeah...", Shinji answered in dismay, while continuing to look around himself, as if he was in search for something, his eyes filled with anxiety. 

" As far as I can see, your walk's not been that relaxing, ne, Shinji-kun?", Kaji uttered ironically, observing that his advice had not made things better. 

*..Possibly he needed a camomile tea more than a coffee...*, he thought to himself. 

"Nope..on the contrary.. something special's happened?!", Shinji said, revealing his omen, which quite dumbfounded Misato and Kaji. 

"Well... while you were away, Dr. Ibuki came here in a hurry, volunteering to help Ritsuko and Yukito in the labour. Nothing more.", Kaji answered. 

"Oh..." Shinji let out a disappointed sigh, fixing his gaze again at the door, which came between the lounge and the maternity ward. He felt the heat coming from the coffee in his hand, which was now unbearable to suffer anymore: so he remembered it, and offered the hot drinks to Misato and Kaji, with a slight smile 

"I've almost forgot it. I took some coffee for you too." 

"Oh! Arigatou gozaimasu, Shin-chan! I really need it!", answered Kaji 

"Me too! I was on the verge of falling asleep!", Misato said cheerfully. "hmm..does the alcohol vending machine still work?" 

"Alcohol is not allowed inside the Nerv facilities, Colonel Katsuragi!" 

Shinji put on an authoritative tone for a while, asserting his own rank: yet it was a joke, which everybody grasped at once. Shinji would have never ever behaved as his father used to. Colonel Katsuragi had to make a certain effort not to burst out laughing: seeing a firm Shinji was such a rare thing! 

"Come on and sit down here, Shinchan. Why are you standing?" Misato said happily. 

Shinji assented and sat down, still he was somehow dumbfounded: there was something bothering him, besides the long waiting. Both Misato and Kaji noticed it; they were about to ask him what was wrong, when the huge door next to them opened with a sudden shriek; which made the three of them turn abruptly, yet more synchronously than two Evangelions could. 

Ritsuko came out of the maternal ward, followed by Yukito and rest of the surgical équipe. 

Shinji was overwhelmed by sheer terror, without even understanding why, so that he didn't dare raise his eyes to meet Rit-chan's look. He felt as if the world started whirling, crazily. He saw Misato rising from her seat; she touched his forearm. 

"Shinji, get up....." 

Shinji did not react at those words, being overcome by scary emotions. 

His guardian's face was relaxed. She was already chattering with her friend...what were they talking about. 

Indistinct words came to Shinji's ears: to him, everything looked hazy. He couldn't even stand up, because of his fear. It was then Ritsuko addressed him: "Shinji?". 

She had called for his attention. Everybody's eyes turned towards him. 

"Ha..hai...", he swallowed, getting ready to listen to the doctor's response. Millions of thoughts crowded throught his mind out of the blue. His whole life passed in front of his eyes, making everything even more blurred. 

Ritsuko smiled "Everything 's all right, Shinchan. Rei-chan did not suffer a lot..." 

"...and the babies are in a very good health!", Doctor Tsukishiro added happily, while slowly moving forward. Were those the words that Shinji-kun had wished he could listen to? Nobody knew...yet they amazed him so much that he stood speechless, his eyes starting to sparkle. He would have said a billion words! Still there was something restraining him. He didn't know how to start; his hand was trembling, as it never did. He was shivering. In that very moment, he had become a father. 

Ritsuko, Misato, Kaji, Yukito, even the whole medical èquipe standing on the threshold, smiled sweetly at seeing the young man behave like that. 

"Watashi...", he could only stammer in disbelief. 

The oddest thing was the little Akane and Tomoyo, who were still asleep, despite all that turmoil, lying on two armchairs. Just before, Misato and Kaji had rested them on the chairs, placed on the other wall. Shinji was so tenderly shy, while showing his own worry. Such a miracle was too much for him. 

"Won't you come and give a look at your wife, Shinji? By now, she's the mother of two babies......", Ritchan turned to him smiling. Shinji stood in the middle of the corridor, where his main focus lay: his entire inner universe collapsed before the only thing he could feel. Shinji felt like being dragged away... 

' your wife..mother...children..' 

He saw everyone around himself smiling, he heard Kaji congratulating him.. 

The door, which Rei was behind, was turning ajar. He would enter it soon...everything was accomplished, by then. There was nothing more to be scared about... 

All sounded died. He tried to step forward: it felt like floating. He felt Misato hugging him by his waist, and then carrying him forward. Still there was something else. His eyes blurred, while he perceived an odd buzzing. 

When he turned, it was like he had leant his head on a cushion; as if he could see through the wall at his left... There was someone, someone he knew well.. a young man smiling to himself, his back rested against the wall. 

"Kaworu-kun...", he whispered... 

Kaji-san heard him; he was about to tell Shin-chan something, when he had about to sustain Shin-chan, who had suddenly lost his balance. 

"Shinji-kun!!", Misato yelled , while the whole group bent over Shinji, who was lying on the floor, unconscious, being held up only by Kaji's arms. 

"Calm down, he's only fainted.", Yukito reassured everybody. "The distress overwhelmed him. Poor boy.." 

Everybody relaxed at those words, while Yukito and the other doctors were helping Kaji to hold up the brand new father, and bring him to a room next   
to there, where Shinji could come round. 

"We might have expect it. Let's make him sleep in the room next to the one where Rei is. He'll wake up by himself soon.", Doctor Tsukishiro said, explaining to the other doctors what to do with Shinji. 

"Yeah! I think a good sleep will be of great use to Shinchan, in order to get over the stress he accumulated tonight...", Ritsuko added by his turn. 

Then the doctors went away, together with Kaji and Yukito who brought Shinji to the nearest maternity ward, to let him rest on a bed. Both Doctor Akagi   
and Colonel Katsuragi sat down. Their look settled upon their respective daughters, who were still sleeping on the facing armchairs. 

"Tomoyo and Akane are still asleep..", doctor Akagi exclaimed, with relief. 

"Yeah. At least, the two of them have been sleeping all night long, without noticing anything at all!", Misato added by her turn. 

"All night long? I wonder what time is it..", Ritsuko questioned doubtfully. One could tell by her look how tired she was, after spending the last few hours like that. 

"It's almost forty past three.", Misato declared, after comparing her watch hands with the pendulum clock ones. 

The scientist leant her hand on her face. "Phew! I had lost my sense of time." 

Colonel Katsuragi smiled at Ritsuko, then she leant her hand on her friend's face. "What about having some rest? You also are very tired, Rit-chan." 

Ritsuko swiftly moved her hand from her face, trying to put her fatigue aside. "No, I definitely can't, Misa-chan. Rei has just given birth to her children, and I can't get away from here, right now." 

"By the way, how is Rei?", Misato answered in a worried tone. 

"Rei-chan's all right, luckily, but she needs a lot of rest, by now. She's more exhausted than all of us. It was a troublesome labour, still everything   
's turned out well: and this is the most important thing." Ritsuko smiled once she finished speaking, while stroking Tomoyo's long purple hair, absent-mindedly. 

"Yup. I was so scared Rei could suffer from complications, because of this night's turmoil.", Misato said, being reassured by her best friend's words. 

"What about the babies!?", she added after a pause. 

"They're two wonderful babies...", doctor Akagi answered, using a sweet tone of voice. " The ultrasounds were not deceptive: they are different sex twins, a female and a male." 

At those words, Misato's look and voice softened even more. "I can figure they are tender. I'm looking forward to see them." 

"That's true. They're so tender! And so healthy, considering it as a premature birth.. there were 26 days left... The female one is slightly   
lighter than the male, but it's only a few grams, nothing to worry about. I saw worse than it." 

"Yeah. Do you remember when Akane was born? Her weight was barely 1 Kg and a half." 

"That's what I meant, Misa-chan. By the way, Rei-chan will totally recover in a few days. She must stay absolutely at rest." 

"I see. I feel so glad for her and Shin-chan.." 

"That's how we all feel, my friend.. ." 

Misato stood up abruptly, with a smile on her face. "Come on! Let's have a coffee! At least, it will awake us for a bit." 

Shinji Ikari, Nerv 's brand new vice-commander, was still lying senseless on a ward bed. In the next room Rei was sleeping. Though he had fainted, Shinji   
felt like dreaming an odd dream. 

He looked around himself. He found himself in a place, which looked deeply covered by snow. A street in suburbia. A church roof and belfry, which had   
obviously turned white. 

Shinji recognized that place. What the hell was he doing there? 

"Shinji.." Someone calling his name, making Ikari suddenly turn towards the voice source. 

There was a young man, sitting on a bench. His hair was silver.He was smiling and staring at Shinji-kun. 

In spite of the snow blanket spreading all over, the silver-haired guy was dressed in summer clothes: he looked like he was not suffering because of   
the chill. 

He held a big feather in his hands. It looked like the one which had leant over Shinj's coffee cup from the vending machine. 

Ikari-kun recognized the young man playing with the down. 

"That's you, Kaworu-kun..", he whispered in surprise, keeping his eyes over Nagisa. 

"Did it take that long to you, just to notice me? I have been trying all night long to give you signs of my presence", he averred quietly,   
reassuringly. 

" Signs..?." 

"Right. Life's a sign, Shinji-kun. What you gave me is a sign. What I gave you is a sign." 

"What reason are you doing this for, Kaworu? What's in your mind?" 

Kaworu raised his red eyes to Shinji: they were so similar to Rei's ones.. 

" Just to thank you, Ikari-kun..." Kaworu hit his friend's heart once again, though Shinji couldn't grasp the meaning hidden in Nagisa's swords. 

They usually unfolded like a poem without paraphrase. Anyhow, they filled every single space left behind inside him. 

He tried to mutter a reply, yet his voice was like "suppressed" by floating feathers falling down the sky like snow. 

Once they disappeared, everything fazed out, as if that unusual snow had swept it away. 

Kaworu too disappeared, last. 

6:00 AM   


"Shinji!? Hey! Shinji!!" Kaji's utterance broke the silence of the dream, bringing Shinji back to reality.   


"Wake up!",Ryouji added, while shaking Ikari-kun by his shoulder.   


Bothered by it, Shinji finally opened his eyes "What's up!?." 

"What do you mean what's up!?!?!?! You've just become a father, and the best you think is to sleep!?", he said with a hint of irony. 

Shinji Ikari sat down on the bed, while lazily rubbing his eyes 

"Did I become a father?" It was as if his mind had erased for a moment all that night's happenings. 

Yet he regained consciousness of them at once, which didn't calm him down. 

"Oh my! Rei-chan!!", Shinji exclaimed, shifting the blankets, then getting down from the bed hurriedly. 

"Just calm down, Shin-chan! No reason to be alarmed!!", Kaji uttered, grabbing Ikari-kun by his shoulders, firmly, restraining him from doing God knows what. 

"Is she all right?! Are you sure?! Where's she, now!?", he inquired of Kaji nervously, while cold sweat drops came down his face, because of the newly upcoming fear. 

"Just in the same place you are. In the third room of maternal ward, here at the Base hospital."   
  
"What..". He couldn't see what was happening to himself, till he became aware he positively was in a hospital room. Shinji blushed furiously. "Oh, my! Don't tell me I am.." 

" ..In a room of the maternal ward!", Kaji interrupted his speech. 

Ryouji finally smiled, clearing his throat. "Please, Mr. Ikari..Would you tell us what's like for a man to be admitted to a strictly female ward?", Ryouji questioned him, pretending he was an interviewer, while Shinji's face was getting more and more scarlet. 

"What a shame..", he cried, while trying to cover his face under the blankets. 

Kaji patted him, to his comfort " Gambare, Ikari-kun! Just don't behave like this! You should be glad, after all. You will possibly go into the Book of Records!" 

" I can believe it...", he muttered uncomfortably.   
  
"Please, come along with me, Shinji. I wanna show you something", Kaji happily whispered, while standing up.   
  
"I wish I could see my wife!", he said hopefully.   
  
"I think it's still impossible, Shinji. I heard 

Ritsuko talking to Misato before about Rei.."   
  
"What's wrong with her?!?!", he asked in alarm, before Kaji could finish his sentence. 

"She's only having a rest, and it would be better if you didn't disturb her.", he quietly said, his look softening while it crossed Shinji's worried eyes.   
  
"I see. May I see her later?", he asked again, pleadingly. Shinji was so eager to see his wife again, that he had almost forgotten why they had spent all night there.   
  
Kaji nodded "Yes, I suppose. While away, I'll show you something else delightful to you.", he added in amusement.   
  
"Are you..are you serious?", Shinji answered surprisedly. 

" Just follow me."   
  


End of IV chapter, part three.   
  
  


To be continued... 

********* 

~*~ *relief sigh* Finally this chapter's out!^_^; I just can't believe it!I'm that it has took too long, but try to understand...it's really hard for me have a fanfiction translated...T_T 

~*~ I hope you'll like this chapter. The next will be the last chapter of this fanfiction (I hope that I'll get it sooner than this one!) 

~*~ Many thanks to Faby-chan for this translation and many thanks to Jason Carter too for the corrections!^__^ THANK YOU!^O^ 

~*~ C&C are welcome!:) And as usual..DO NOT FORGET TO REVIEW!!!!!!!^-^ 

~*~ Please email me if you wanna tell me something: reichan@inwind.it or visit my website http://members.tripod.it/aoitears 

Bye!^o^   
Rei-chan   



End file.
